"Nadal exhausted and close to mental fatigue" says his coach Carlos Moya

Rafael Nadal shocked many when he announced he won't be competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games or Wimbledon this year.

The Spaniard created quite a commotion when he unexpectedly announced he would not be attending Wimbledon or the Olympic Games. The news received mixed reactions in the tennis community but Nadal's coach Carlos Moya offered some perspective on the decision.

He said:

“The clay-court season was very tough, with a lot of physical and mental pressure. Rafa finished exhausted. He is going to take a well-deserved rest, this is a marathon, a long-distance race in which hard decisions have to be made and he has considered that the best thing is to stop to come back full of strength."

In his announcement, Nadal's said he was skipping the event in an effort to prolong his career. Many wondered whether the line had something to do with lack of ambition but Moya explained it's more to do with mental fatigue. He said:

“Two years ago Rafa reached a point of great mental fatigue that was very difficult to get out of and now he has indicated that he was close to that again. He cannot afford (to play in) a Grand Slam if he is not at 100%.”

Moya further added:

“The defeat has not affected him as much as the fact that there is a week less than usual to prepare for Wimbledon, as well as the context in which we are with the pandemic."