RAF PUT OUT TO GRASS

Nadal set to miss Wimbers to focus on Olympics after Roland Garros KO

- NEIL McLEMAN

RAFA NADAL is set to miss Wimbledon and will make a call on his future after returning to Roland Garros for the Olympics.

Whether yesterday’s first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev is his last hit here in a Grand Slam remains up in the air as the 14-time champion refused to rule out a return to the French Open.

His fellow superstars were not going to take the chance of missing a potential farewell to the King of Clay, though.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek – along with Manchester City midfielder Rodri – were packed into Court PhilippeChatrier for an emotional afternoon.

But the Spaniard, who turns 38 next week, will now turn all his focus to returning to Paris for the Olympics on July 27 at the expense of the grass-court season.

Nadal said: “I don’t think it’s going to be smart, after all the things that happened to my body, to make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay.