Nadal casts doubts over Tokyo Olympics participation

The Spaniard said that in normal circumstances he would never think of skipping the Games, but the prevailing situation in Japan makes him unsure of his presence this time around.

Nadal has won two gold medals at the Summer Games, one each in singles (2008) and doubles (2016).

Rafael Nadal has raised doubts about his participation in this year's Tokyo Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying on Tuesday that he had to be flexible and cannot give a clear answer until he organises his schedule for the year.

"This year is a bit different, no? We need to be flexible. We need to adapt about things that are happening," Nadal told a news conference at the Rome Masters.

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Nadal, who won a singles gold in Beijing 2008 and added a doubles title in Rio de Janeiro eight years later partnering Marc Lopez, said that he is yet to firm up his plans on travelling to Tokyo.

"I don't know yet. Honestly I can't give you a clear answer because I don't know. I don't know my calendar," Nadal said.

"In a normal world I'll never think about missing Olympics. There's no doubt about that. Everybody knows how important it has been for me to always play in the Olympics.

"Under these circumstances, I don't know. Let's see what's going on in the next couple of months. I need to organise my schedule... In a normal year, I know my schedule almost 100% from Jan. 1 until the end of the season."

Japan's top-ranked men's and women's players - Kei Nishikori and Naomi Osaka - have raised concerns about staging the Games amid the pandemic.