“Difficult to Fix it in Our Calendar”: Rafael Nadal Opens up on Tokyo Olympics 2021 Participation

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has said that he wants to represent his homeland in the forthcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Spaniard, who is currently tied with Roger Federer for the most number of Grand Slam titles at 20 apiece, will carry his nation’s hopes in the ATP Cup which is set to get rolling in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Nadal will open his campaign at the team event against rising Australian star Alex De Minaur.

Rafael Nadal says he will seek expert advice before taking Olympics call

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, the Spaniard said that while he is keen to play the Tokyo Games, accommodating another quarantine schedule in his already packed calendar might be a challenge.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has yet to come out with quarantine rules or guidelines as yet, it is likely that athletes competing at the Tokyo Games will have to spend a certain number of days in isolation before heading into the secure bubble for the event.

The Spaniard, who minted Gold in singles and doubles at the 2008 and 2016 Games respectively, said he would seek expert advice before taking a call on his participation in the Olympics.

“I am just a tennis player, a human person that doesn’t have enough knowledge about all the situation(s),” Nadal said.

Nadal bidding for a second Australian Open title this year

The Spaniard, who will be bidding to go past Federer’s career Grand Slam tally with his second Australian Open crown this year, said he will simply trust and follow the advice of people who have better knowledge of the prevailing situation in the host nation.

He has made five final appearances at Melbourne Park but couldn’t cross the last hurdle on four occasions.

“I don’t know, combining our Tour with another 15 days of quarantine to play Olympics. It looks difficult to fix it in our calendar,” Nadal said.

Asked if he still wants to give himself the best chance of playing the Tokyo Games this year, the champion said, “I think everybody wants to play in (the) Olympic Games, then let’s see what’s going on.”

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The Summer Games, which was originally scheduled last year, had to be postponed because of the pandemic.