Nadal to skip Wimbledon, play clay in Sweden

Rafael Nadal will avoid the challenge of Wimbledon grass and prepare for the Paris Olympics on grass in Sweden, the Spaniard announced on Thursday.

The 38-year-old who has grappled with various injuries over the past two seasons, unveiled his summer programme on social media.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion left his calendar in doubt after losing last month in the Roland Garros first round to eventual finalist Alexander Zverev.

Nadal said he will prepare for Paris with an appearance on the Swedish clay of Bastad, where he won on his last appearance in 2005.

“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,” the Spaniard posted.

“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.”

He added: “In order to prepare for the Olympic Games, I will play the tournament in Bastad, Sweden. 

(It’s 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 “