Rafael Nadal has been given the green light by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to compete at next month’s Rio Olympics despite not fulfilling the qualification criteria.
The 2008 Beijing gold medalist’s participation had been in doubt as injury had prevented him from appearing in the minimum number of Davis Cup ties required in a four-year Olympic cycle to qualify for the Games.
The Spaniard, who has been out of action since pulling out of the French Open following his second-round match with a wrist injury, won his appeal to compete in the Games and was named in the final list of participants issued by the ITF on Friday.
Photo: EPA
The 30-year-old, who missed the 2012 Games through injury, has been named as his country’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony and will be one of four Spaniards competing for the men’s singles gold medal.
He will also compete in the men’s doubles with Marc Lopez.
Meanwhile, two top-10 tennis players withdrew from the Games on Friday, citing concerns about the Zika virus.
Fifth-ranked Simona Halep on the women’s side and No. 7 Milos Raonic for the men announced their decisions after their names were listed on the ITF’s roster.
“After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman,” the 24-year-old Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up from Romania, posted on Facebook.
“Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over,” she said.
Raonic, a 25-year-old Canadian who made his first major final at Wimbledon this month, said in a statement that: “I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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