Rafael Nadal has withdrawn Wimbledon with a left wrist injury. The two-time Wimbledon champion, who pulled out of the French Open last month before his third round match, had been hoping to be ready for the All-England Club.
However, he had already withdrawn from the Queen’s Club next week, putting his participation at Wimbledon in doubt. Now the Spaniard will skip the tournament for the third time in his career.
Time to Heal
Nadal made the announcement via his Facebook page.
“Hi everybody. I’m sad to announce that after talking to my doctors, and receiving the results of my last medical revision, I won’t be able to play at Wimbledon this year.
As you can all imagine, it’s a very tough decision, but the injury I suffered at Roland Garros needs time to heal. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join in the pre-tournament event #TheBoodles at #Stokepark that I attended in previous years.”
When Nadal withdrew from the Queen’s Club, it cast serious doubt on whether or not he would participate in the third major of the year. Rumours had also been swirling that his priority is the Summer Olympics in Rio, which are taking place at the beginning of August. By withdrawing from Wimbledon, it gives the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, who is supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer, more time to recover.
What’s Next for Nadal
Yesterday, Nadal’s PR manager Perez Barbadillo said that very little has changed in Nadal’s health status since his withdrawal from the French Open, that the former world number one is still wearing a cast, and that he will not start treatment until tomorrow.
The Spaniard has a title to defend in July at the German Open, and is currently scheduled to participate in the Rogers Cup at the end of July. Should he enter the German Open and defend his title, he would have a month to prepare. The Rio Olympics are just under two months away.