Wimbledon is back for 2024 and the world’s best players are gearing up for an action-packed two weeks on the grass, but one legend will be missing.
It’s often recognised as the most prestigious of the four Grand Slams and is the oldest tournament in the world.
There have been many great winners over the years, whether it’s the icon Rodger Federer with his eight crowns, or Martina Navratilova, who dominated the 80s and won nine.
However, this year’s event will be without one, with two-time champion Rafael Nadal recently confirming he would be missing the grass-court season.
The Spaniard known as the ‘King of Clay’ has struggled this year and has made the shock decision to miss Wimbledon after a first-round defeat in the French Open.
Whilst grass isn’t his preferred surface, Nadal has tasted success at the All-England Club on several occasions.
His 2008 maiden five-set victory over Federer is regarded by many as the greatest tennis match of all time. Nadal went into the final having lost two previous championship matches to Federer, who had just won five Wimbledon singles titles in a row.
After the mesmerising encounter, it was fitting that 11 years later they played their final competitive match against one another at SW19.
It will be sad not to see Nadal take to Centre Court this year, but given he’s going to be competing on clay at the Olympics in just a few weeks, it’s not a surprise he didn’t want to take to the grass.
You can find all the Wimbledon odds on the Paddy Power website and app ahead of the first round which begins on Monday, July 1.
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