In 2012, the pride and joy of carrying the Spanish flag at the London Olympics turned into a major disappointment for Rafael Nadal when he had to withdraw from the mega quadrennial Games owing to a recurring knee injury. The former World No. 1 had, at that time, admitted that it was one of the saddest days of his career. NBA basketball star Pau Gasol replaced him then.
Four years later, the 14-time Grand Slam champion gets another chance to banish all those bitter memories as he has been selected as Spain’s flag bearer for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The announcement was made by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) on Wednesday in Madrid during an event that marked the 100-day countdown to the Olympic opening ceremony on August 5.
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“Spanish sport had a debt to pay back to Rafael Nadal,” said the COE president Alejandro Blanco, adding, “He has done so much, so much more than just his results.”
The southpaw, who will turn 30 this June, will look to add to the singles gold medal that he clinched at Beijing in 2008. The announcement comes just as the Spaniard is looking to have rediscovered his form after enduring a lean patch in 2015 and at the beginning of 2016.
The start of the European clay season has been an auspicious one for the nine-time French Open winner who is now on a 10-match winning streak after back-to-back title wins at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.
Off-court, he is having a troubling time, though. The World No. 5 has been forced to file a defamation lawsuit in the wake of doping allegations brought forward by the former French health and sports minister Roselyne Bachelot. He also wrote a letter to the ITF president David Haggerty asking for all his drug tests and blood profiles to be made public that will leave no room for any such accusations in the future.
Nadal is the second former top-ranked tennis player to be named as the flag bearer for the Rio Games. Earlier in February, Caroline Wozniacki was given the honour to lead the Danish Olympic team in Brazil.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
