Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics

20-time grand slam champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist (men's singles) Rafael Nadal on Thursday said that he is pulling out of the upcoming Wimbledon Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. The Spaniard took to twitter to let his fans know about his decision.

Nadal's announcement comes just days after he was beaten in the semi-final of the French Open by long-time rival Novak Djokovic, who eventually won the title.

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"Hi all, I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It’s never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision," Nadal wrote on Twitter.

The 35-year-old was expected to add to his record record of 13 title at French Open and move ahead of Roger Federer in the list of all-time highest grand slam winner. But a shock loss to Djokovic means he remains tied at the top with the Swiss ace.

The three-way battle to become the world's most successful men's singles player heated up as Djokovic won the French Open to pick up his 19th career slam, which puts him just one grand slam title behind Nadal and Federer.

Federer had earlier pulled out mid-way through his French Open campaign to preserve himself for the grass court season.

Nadal is the only the second men's singles tennis player after Andre Agassi to have won all the four grand slams and also the Olympics gold. He added to a second Olympic gold to his Beijing 2008 medal by winning the yellow metal in men's doubles event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.