Rafael Nadal will win gold medal at 2024 Paris Olympics, predicts Spanish Olympic Committee president

Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco reckons Rafael Nadal could win gold if he plays in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

The 36-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the sport. The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been ever-present in the top ten of the ATP rankings since first breaking into it in 2005. His impressive list of accomplishments includes winning Olympic gold in both singles and doubles.

In an interaction on El Partidazo de Cope, a Spanish radio program, Blanco said that Nadal looks good to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He said (as translated from Spanish):

"I agree, you have to take @RafaelNadal to the #Paris2024 Games no matter what. If he goes, he will be an Olympic champion for sure"

The former World No. 1 is coming off an injury-plagued but successful 2022 season, registering a 39-8 win-loss record and winning four titles. That includes his second triumph at the Australian Open and a staggering 14th at Roland Garros, having made a career-best 20-0 start to the season. He, however, failed to reach the semifinals at the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, as he won only one of three round-robin matches.

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Rafael Nadal becomes first player to spend 900 consecutive weeks in top ten

The King of Clay is into his 901st straight week in the top ten.

Rafael Nadal recently added another feather to his cap when he became the first player to remain in the top ten of the ATP singles rankings for 900 consecutive weeks.

The 36-year-old has not exited the top ten since first breaking into it on April 25, 2005. To put his achievement into context, the previous record for most weeks in the top ten belonged to Jimmy Connors (788), which he broke two years ago.

The World No. 2 is now only 68 weeks behind his good friend and arch-rival Roger Federer, who holds the record for most weeks in the ATP top ten. If the Spaniard continues his current level of play, especially at the Majors, he could go past the recently retired Swiss legend some time before the Paris Olympics in 2024.

If things go as expected, Nadal could become the first player to spend 1000 weeks in the top ten later that year. That would be one of the most staggering achievements of his career.

The Mallorcan, who recently had a successful exhibition tour of Latin America with Casper Ruud, will open his 2023 season at the United Cup, which begins on December 29.