Rafael Nadal faces uphill task as chances of competing at 2024 Paris Olympic look bleak

Rafael Nadal made a huge decision to draw curtains to his 2023 season. The Spaniard’s only hope of returning to the tour this season remains the Davis Cup, which will take place at the end of the year. The 36-year-old announced last week that he will not be able to compete at the upcoming French Open and the forthcoming tournaments.

Moreover, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has stated that the 2024 season could be the last professional year on tour. He failed to recover in time for the Roland Garros, which he is all set to miss for the first time in almost 20 years. Earlier, Rafael Nadal had already withdrawn from the Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome Masters, hoping that he could be fit for the French Open.

Rafael Nadal is all set to face a huge dip in rankings, which will impact his participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Spaniard missed the previous edition of the Summer Games and will be eager to represent his nation in Paris next year. If he does not return to the tour this season, he will be left with just 45 ranking points, which puts him out of the top 600 ATP Rankings.

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Rafael Nadal’s chances of competing at Paris Olympics get slimmer

According to the ranking scenario, four players from a country can participate in the Olympics, given that they are ranked inside the top 40. However, as things stand, Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreño Busta, Roberto Bautista Agut, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Bernabé Zapata Miralles are all ranked in the top 40 rankings.

It looks unlikely that at least Carlos Alcaraz, Pablo Carreño Busta, and Roberto Bautista Agut will drop out of the top 56 rankings when the Paris Olympics is just around the corner. Rafael Nadal claimed the gold medal in the Singles event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as he remains only the second male athlete in the Open Era to complete the Golden Slam.

Rafael Nadal also missed the 2012 London Olympics, where he was elected as the flag-bearer for his nation during the Opening Ceremony. In order to make himself eligible for qualification at the Paris Olympics, Rafael Nadal will need to have a brilliant start to the 2024 season. The Spaniard will need to at least reach the semifinals of the Australian Open, and win a couple of ATP 500 and Masters’ tournaments.

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