Rafael Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion, will miss this year’s tournament to focus on the Olympics in Paris.
The 38-year-old Spaniard stated he will compete in a clay-court event in Bastad, Sweden, to prepare for the Olympic tennis tournament, which begins on July 27.
Wimbledon, where Nadal won in 2008 and 2010, begins on July 1.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, expressed sadness that he would miss the “great atmosphere” of Wimbledon, which “will always be in my heart.”
Following his first-round elimination at the French Open last month, Nadal stated that returning to the clay at Roland Garros for the Olympics was his major goal.
“With this goal, we believe that the best for my body is not to change surface and keep playing on clay until then,” according to him.
Nadal, ranked 264th in the world, will play doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympics.
Nadal previously stated that he planned to retire later this year, but added before the French Open that he couldn’t tell “100%” if that would be his final appearance in the tournament.