Paris Olympics 2024: Know your athlete - King of Clay Rafael Nadal eyes 3rd gold at Roland Garros in swansong year
Rafael Nadal will be eyeing his third Olympic gold in Paris, in what is also probably his swansong year.
2024 is probably Rafael Nadal's swansong year. Injuries and fitness issues seem to have taken a toll on the 38-year-old's body, but he hasn't stopped yet! Nadal skipped Wimbledon this year, revealing that he wanted to prepare for the Olympics and is currently participating in the Swedish Open.
Nadal already has an Olympics singles gold and also a doubles one, from 2008 and 2016. If he adds another Olympic medal to his tally, it will be very special if he clinches it in Paris, as tennis will be held on the clay courts of Roland Garros, where he has won the French Open a record 14 times.
Also Read | Casper Ruud left in splits with Carlos Alcaraz ‘calling him for Olympics tips’ query, receives praise from Rafael Nadal
Meteoric rise and dominance
Regarded as one of the best players in tennis history, he holds a place alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the famous 'Big Three', who together dominated men's tennis for almost two decades. Born in Mallorca, Spain on June 3, 1986, Nadal began to play tennis from the age of 4 and was a prodigy, under the tutelage of uncle Toni Nadal.
Nadal turned professional in 2001 at only 15, and the next year, he became the youngest tennis player to win a match on the professional circuit and later at 18, he reached the 2002 Wimbledon semifinals. In 2004, he got his first ATP Tour title, and was key in Spain's Davis Cup win vs USA. Then in 2005, he won his first French Open title, defeating then-World No. 1 Federer in the semis and also going to world No. 2 in the rankings.
Grand Slams galore
Nadal is known as the King of Clay, due to his 14 French Open wins. He also has two Wimbledon titles, four US Open victories, two Australian Open trophies, amassing a total of 22 Grand Slam titles. At Roland Garros, he has a 112-3 record.
In Paris, Nadal will play singles and doubles, partnering his successor Carlos Alcaraz in the latter.
What did he say?
Earlier, when he skipped Wimbledon, he wrote on X, "During my post match press conference at Roland Garros I was asked about my summer calendar and since then I have been practicing on clay. It was announced yesterday that I will play at the summer Olympics in Paris, my last Olympics."
"With this goal, we believe that the best for my body is not to change surface and keep playing on clay until then. It’s for this reason that I will miss playing at the Championships this year at Wimbledon. I am saddened not to be able to live this year the great atmosphere of that amazing event that will always be in my heart, and be with all the British fans that always gave me great support. I will miss you all.
"In order to prepare for the Olympic Games, I will play the tournament in Bastad, Sweden. A tournament that I played earlier in my career and where I had a great time both on and off the court. Looking forward to seeing you all there. Thank you", he added.