Why is Rafael Nadal not playing Wimbledon 2024? All you need to know

While all the big names barring significant injuries are competing at the 2024 Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal remains on the sidelines. Despite his recent health struggles he's in good shape at the moment. However, he chose to skip the grass court Major in order to compete at the upcoming Olympics one last time.

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, with the clay courts of Roland Garros being the venue for tennis from July 27 to August 4. Following the conclusion of the French Open last month, there were questions regarding Nadal's schedule for the rest of the season.

David Ferrer, the captain of Spain's men's team, was the first to spill the beans on the matter. He outlined Nadal's plans for the upcoming Olympics for June 12, the last time he will compete in the quadrennial extravaganza.

The Spaniard cleared the air himself as he took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm his absence from Wimbledon, and his intention to participate in the Olympics. The change of surface from grass to clay, and its effects on his body led to the former World No. 1 deciding to skip the event with a heavy heart.

"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," he wrote.

"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," he added.

Nadal last competed at Wimbledon back in 2022. He survived a tough five-set thriller against Taylor Fritz to advance to the semifinals. Unfortunately, he injured himself during that match, and couldn't take to the court for his last four match against Nick Krygios.

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Rafael Nadal to contest the Nordea Open in Sweden to prepare for the Olympics

Rafael Nadal at the 2024 Wimbledon. (Photo: Getty)

Rafael Nadal is currently training and enjoying a little downtime as his contemporaries battle it out at Wimbledon. With an eye on the upcoming Olympics, he previously announced that he would participate in the Nordea Open, an ATP 250 event, in Bastad, Sweden, from July 15-21.

"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," the 38-year-old wrote.

The Spaniard has previously competed in Bastad thrice, with his last appearance being way back in 2005. After two quarterfinal appearances, he finally claimed the title there that year with a win over Tomas Berdych in the final.

Nadal isn't the only big name who has signed up for the event. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner leads the field, along with top-10 players Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud. The clay tournaments post Wimbledon have witnessed an uptick in participation from top players who want some practice prior to the Olympics.