On the eve of the Paris Olympics 2024, Rafael Nadal claimed that his gold medal in Beijing in 2008 was more important to him than any of his Grand Slam titles. This statement from the Spaniard has started a debate among tennis fans about the importance of an Olympic medal.
Nadal’s claim comes as no surprise, as the Olympic Games provide the tennis stars with a rare opportunity to represent their country on a global stage and win a medal to etch their name into the country’s folklore.
Rafael Nadal places his Olympic gold above Grand Slam titles
Rafael Nadal is set to participate in the last-ever Olympics in Paris. The Spaniard has a rich history at the event, winning gold medals in both the singles and the doubles. Nadal won a gold medal at the singles event in Beijing in 2008 and followed it up with a gold medal at the doubles event with his partner Marc Lopez in Rio 2016.
Speaking ahead of his last-ever Olympic games, Rafael Nadal said that winning an Olympic gold is a bigger achievement than winning a Grand Slam title. The Spaniard, who has missed two Olympic games in the past, further added that missing the Olympics hurt more than missing the Grand Slams (via Eurosport):
