The discussion over Rafael Nadal’s fitness complications has continued to simmer. The 37-year-old’s upsetting defeat in his opening match at the French Open has brought in a lot of opinions and speculations, including his appearance at Wimbledon. At the latest, Rennae Stubbs raised doubts about Rafa playing at Wimbledon and echoed with him about the transition challenges.

Speaking at the ‘Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’ on May 29, Serena Williams‘ former coach, Rennae Stubbs talked about Rafael Nadal’s defeat in the first round at Roland Garros. She, along with her co-host, Sam Querrey, also cherished their favorite Rafa stories and talked about his possible future. 

At a time when Rafael Nadal is going through one of the toughest phases of his career, his presence at Wimbledon is highly unlikely. In the discussion, Stubbs highlighted that staying away from the grass court will be favorable for Nadal. “I’m gonna say right now that if he stays healthy,  and he keeps putting the work in, I don’t think he’s going to play at Wimbledon,” the 53-year old Tennis Commentator said. 

Clay has been a delightful venue for Nadal, who has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slams here, and hence has a realistic shot to take in the Olympics. On the contrary, his records at the grass-court have not been significant enough especially in the past decade. Although he won the Grand Slam in 2008 and 2010, his charm has failed at this venue, recently. She also echoed Nadal’s statement about transition challenges saying it would be ideal for him to stay on the clay. “I think he probably will stay on the clay. I think it’s better for his body, frankly, and his foot,” she added.

Since Nadal turned professional in 2001, he has suffered problems in his knee, feet, ankle, abdomen, and wrist almost every year. But, for four seasons(2017-2020), Rafael Nadal defied expectations. While he battled minor annoyances like knee discomfort and abdominal strains, he remarkably avoided major injuries.

However, in 2021, his chronic foot condition, Mueller-Weiss syndrome, resurfaced. This forced him to withdraw from both Wimbledon and the Olympics. The following year brought similar struggles. Despite reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, a recurring abdominal tear ended his match against Nick Kyrgios.

Rennae’s statement comes a day after the 22-time Grand Slam Winner, speaking at the post-match interview after he lost in straight sets to Alex Zverev, stated that playing Wimbledon wouldn’t be a ‘smart move.’

Rafael Nadal prioritizes Paris Olympics since Wimbledon “looks difficult” 

Asked whether he intends to compete at Wimbledon, Nadal said, “Looks difficult, honestly. I need to talk with the team. But I don’t think it’s going to be smart after all the things that happened to my body [to] now make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay, no?”

Nadal’s statement highlights that his focus stays on the Paris Olympics and he does not wish to risk his chances. The Paris 2024 event, which is the first Olympic clay court event since the Barcelona 1992 event was played at Tennis de la Vall d’Hebroncan, can witness Nadal’s comeback this season.

Rafael Nadal, who previously indicated 2024 as his likely retirement year, left the door open for a 2025 comeback after his Roland Garros defeat to Zverev. He admitted he’s “not 100 sure” that this was his final appearance at the French Open. However, Nadal acknowledged the physical challenges he’s faced over the past year and a half. Even with prioritizing fitness for the Olympics, he conceded there’s no guarantee he’ll be healthy enough to return in 2025.

Rafael’s remarkable feat on clay and his recent health complications definitely justify Stubbs’ remarks. It will be interesting to see if the Spaniard’s likely absence at Wimbledon will help him achieve big at the Olympics.