🎾Un día como hoy, pero de 2008, Rafael Nadal lograba una de sus conquistas más épicas: 🥇La medalla de ORO en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing 2008🇪🇸 📹 @olympicchannel
ITF rules would prevent Nadal retiring at 2024 Olympic Games in spiritual home of Paris
ATPTuesday, 04 June 2024 at 18:08
Rafael Nadal
may not be able to compete in the Paris Olympics due to the current regulations
set by the ITF with the latest info confirmed for 2024.
2024 is
likely to be Nadal's last year as a professional, as he announced before
withdrawing from the French Open. He will miss all competitions in 2023 and plans
to return next year to conclude his successful career, which includes 20 Grand
Slam titles and the gold medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
But since then he seemingly receives a spot in the Olympic Games with Pedro Martinez not very happy as he will be among those to miss out due to Nadal getting a spot in the Spain team with an exemption. The rules though initially denied him.
Playing in
Paris 2024 could be an ideal setting for Nadal's retirement, as the tournament
takes place on the clay courts of Roland Garros, where he has won 14 times. But he has since found his way to likely put that on hold for the time being with a 2025 return to the tournament mooted. Even if he doesn't retire at the Olympic Games, it will likely be later in 2024.
The current
rules of the ITF would not allow Rafael Nadal to play representing Spain in
Paris 2024, as he has not played in the last two editions of the Davis Cup.
Dietloff von Arnim, President of the German Tennis Federation, expressed his
opinion on the matter:
“That is
the rule. Why do we make it so difficult?”
“Rafa is
thinking about playing in Paris. Make it easy for them to play there. They want
to play. We have to change the rules. I’m not sitting on the board or the
Olympic committee but I think we should discuss it.”
Von Arnim
is a candidate for the presidency of the ITF and is competing against David
Haggerty, the current incumbent. He also mentioned the case of Alexander
Zverev, the gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics:
“If I can
still do so I would surely do it, and think about points for the Olympics,
because I think from the players point of view it’s not fair,” he said.
“We should
make it easy for the players to play and take the obstacles away. Let them
play, make it easy for them. We have to make all of our decisions understandable
to the players and support their point of view.
“Sascha
[Zverev] came to me and said ‘can you please explain to me why I did not get
points at the Olympics?’. I think it’s so important that tennis is played at
the Olympics. The players love it, we love it for the promotion of the game,” von
Armim added.
“But why
did Sascha not get points? Why don’t we do that? We are the ITF, we have to
talk to the ATP, and let’s make a fair adjustment that players get points.
Sascha was not happy at all”, he concluded.
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