Rafael Nadal won't play in Wimbledon or Tokyo Olympics: 'The goal is to prolong my career'
Rafael Nadal fell short of his 21st overall grand slam and 14th French Open title when he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in their semifinal match, and the 35-year-old is taking time away to rest, "listening to my body," before trying to get back to his winning ways.
Nadal announced his decision to skip Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics in a lengthy Twitter thread Thursday morning.
The Spaniard has suffered countless injuries throughout his illustrious tennis career, and he even dealt with a back injury to start this calendar year that lingered into the Australian Open. A foot injury appeared to limit him in his most recent loss to Djokovic, too.
The 2021 Wimbledon Championships will begin June 28 in London.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, postponed from last summer due to the pandemic, are scheduled to commence July 23.
Nadal is a two-time Wimbledon champion (2008, '10) and an Olympic gold medalist in singles ('08).
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