PARIS: Rafael Nadal has suffered a thigh injury to put his participation at the Paris Olympics in doubt, his coach Carlos Moya said on Thursday.

The 14-time French Open champion is scheduled to play in the singles and in the men’s doubles alongside rising star and fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros.

“He had some discomfort yesterday (Wednesday) morning,” Moya told Spanish radio.

“In the afternoon he was more limited and before it got worse he decided to stop.”

The 38-year-old Nadal did not train on Thursday, which Moya said was “the most responsible thing to do.”

“Don’t force it at the moment and see if he recovers well,” he added. “We will see what condition he’s in tomorrow and Saturday.”

Nadal returned to tennis this year after a lengthy absence with a hip injury, reaching his first ATP final since winning the 2022 French Open in Bastad last weekend before losing to Portugal’s Nuno Borges.

He is scheduled to face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in the singles first round on Sunday, the day after partnering Alcaraz in the doubles.

If Nadal defeats Fucsovics, he would set up a possible second-round meeting with old rival Novak Djokovic.

“I can’t guarantee anything, neither that he won’t play or he will play,” said Moya. “At the moment he needs to rest, undergo treatment.

“He is obviously very excited to play these Olympics. It has been something marked on his calendar for years.

“He is a born competitor and wants to play singles and doubles. He’s very excited about the doubles with Alcaraz. It will be the first time they have played together and it will be something historic for Spanish tennis.”

Nadal is a two-time Olympic champion, having won singles gold in Beijing in 2008, and doubles gold at the 2016 Rio Games alongside Marc Lopez.

PARIS: Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber announced Thursday that she will retire after the Paris Olympics.
The 36-year-old German player won majors at every tournament except for the French Open at Roland Garros — on the same clay courts where she will bid farewell to tennis after the Paris Games. She faces four-time major winner Naomi Osaka of Japan in the first round.
“Before the Olympics begin, l can already say that I will never forget Paris 2024, because it will be my last professional tournament as a tennis player,” Kerber posted on Instagram. “And whereas this might actually be the right decision, it will never feel that way. Simply because I love the sport with all my heart and l’m thankful for the memories and opportunities it has given me.”
Kerber later confirmed her retirement when speaking briefly on stage after the Olympic tennis draw. Men’s and women’s first-round play begins Saturday.
Kerber won the Australian Open and the US Open in 2016 — the year she reached No. 1 in the rankings — and won Wimbledon two years later.
“Paris 2024 will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand,” Kerber added. “There are many more things I want to say and people to thank, which I will do once I completed my last match. But for now, I will take the time and soak up every second of this final episode on court.”