According to German Tennis Federation boss Dietloff von Arnim, Rafael Nadal could not be able to play in the 2024 Paris Olympics because of ITF’s current rules. “At the moment by the rules [Rafa] Nadal is not allowed to play the Olympics [in Paris next year] because he has to play Davis Cup for the last two years prior to the Olympics.
That is the rule. Why do we make it so difficult?” Von Armin said during a CityAM interview. “Rafa is thinking about playing in Paris. Under the rules we make it difficult. Make it easy for them to play there. They want to play.
So we have to get the involvement of the players and make our decisions understandable. We have to change the rules. If I can still do so I would surely do it [if elected] – and think about points for the Olympics, talk to the ATP.
We should make it easy for the players to play and take the obstacles away. Let them play, make it easy for them”.
Will Nadal end his career at the Olympics
Rafael Nadal expressed his wish to play in every important tournament in the next year, so he’d likely want to participate in the Olympics as well.
“My idea is to try to say good-bye to all the tournaments next year and try to enjoy that [while] being competitive,” Nadal said in a press conference at his academy in Spain. “The chances [of that] are much higher if I stop.” He added: “I’d like to give myself the option to end my career on a tennis court, feeling like a good tennis player and fighting for big tournaments.
Whether that’s viable or not, we’ll see in the future… I do not deserve to end my career like this. I think that I have done enough effort during my sports career to end it in a different way, not in a press conference”.
Nadal also talked specifically about his potential presence at the Olympics. “It’s difficult for me to predict how my situation is going to be, how my body is going to be,” Nadal said as quoted on the Olympics’ official website.
“I don’t want to say one thing and do the other. He continued: “Of course, [the] Olympic Games is one of the competitions I’d love to be at. I can’t say if it’s going to be my last or not. I hope to be there. Whether it’s my last tournament or not, I can’t say now”.
