Rafael Nadal skipping Wimbledon, Olympics; hopes rest will help prolong career

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for June 17

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Tennis great Rafael Nadal announced Thursday he will skip Wimbledon and the Olympics to focus on recovering after playing in the French Open, Italian Open and Madrid Open in a span of a few weeks.

The 35-year-old wrote in a series of tweets that this measure is being taken in hopes of prolonging his career.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Hi all, I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It’s never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision," he wrote.

"The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at (the) maximum level of competition.

FEDERER FAILS TO MAKE HALLE OPEN QUARTERFINALS FOR 1ST TIME

"The fact that there has only been 2 weeks between [Roland Garros] and Wimbledon, didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay court season. They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused looking at the mid and long term.

"Sport prevention of any kind of excess in my body is a very important factor at this stage of my career in order to try to keep fighting for the highest level of competition and titles."

Nadal would have represented Spain in the Olympics in Tokyo. He won gold in 2008 in the single competition in Beijing and a gold in doubles in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Presumably, Nadal would be getting ready to compete in the U.S. Open. He’s won the event four times.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Nadal lost to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinal last weekend.