20 time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who suffered only his third defeat in French Open against Novak has decided to pull out of both Wimbledon 2021 and Tokyo Olympics. The Spaniard took to Twitter and made this announcement. It comes on the back of a hard-fought defeat against World no.1 Novak Djokovic in the Rolan Garros semi-finals.
"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.
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
To clarify, he shared another tweet stating that he is withdrawing from the following championships to prolong his career.
The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at he maximum level of competition.
He also expressed his love towards his fans and followers in the United Kingdom and Japan. In addition, to all of this Rafael Nadal also expressed his gratitude towards the Olympic games and how honoured he was to be the flag bearer of his country.
'You challenged me in ways no one else could': Roger Federer's special message on Rafael Nadal's retirement
Rafael Nadal prepares to say 'au revoir' to the game that made him a legend. The man who dominated the French Open as if it was his backyard, draws curtains to an illustrious career with the Davis Cup finals 2024.
Swiss tennis great Roger Federer wrote an emotional letter on the retirement of his close friend Rafael Nadal. Rafa, 22 Grand Slam winner, announced his retirement only last month at Davis Cup final in Málaga, Spain.
Federer, 43, who retired two years ago after winning 20 major titles, wrote, “As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional. Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge,”
Federer recalled their first meeting
Federer and Nadal had the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport. They first faced each other in Miami in 2004, where the Spaniard defeated then world No. 1 Federer 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 32.
Recalling their first meeting, Federer said, “OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype."
Federer praised Nadal's skills on clay and thanked him for making him a better player. He wrote, “We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud."
The 'Fedal' rivalry
Notably, the 'Fedal' rivalry has seen some of the most spectacular tennis matches, including the Wimbledon 2008 final, in which Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. In total, they faced each other 40 times, with Nadal holding the head-to-head record 24–16.
“I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies." Federer added.
Nadal was on the same side on Federer's last match
In Federer's last professional tennis match, Rafael Nadal was on the same side of the court as the two paired up to play a doubles match at the Laver Cup in London in 2022. After the match, a photo of Federer and Nadal sitting on the bench, holding hands and crying, went viral on social media.
“And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career,”
Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. Neeraj maintained the same trend in the Paris Olympics 2024 and got his name registered in history.
Wherever Neeraj Chopra goes, he does not return empty-handed. This series started in 2016 when this rising star made a record for the first time at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships. From that day itself, we got a glimpse of the future to come, in which many records were to be made and broken one after the other. On Thursday night of 8 August, Neeraj maintained the same trend in the Paris Olympics 2024 and got his name registered in history. So, it's time we take a look at every Neeraj Chopra records that he has made in his tremendous career so far.
First Indian to win Olympic medal in athletics: At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Neeraj Chopra produced a historic performance in the men's javelin throw event. Neeraj won the gold medal in the final with a throw of 87.58m, giving India its first Olympic medal in athletics. With this win, Neeraj Chopra also became the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal in a track and field event at the Olympics.
First Indian to win silver at World Athletics Championships: Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won a historic silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He recorded a throw of 88.13m in his fourth attempt to claim the second spot. Chopra thus is the first Indian to win a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships and only the second medallist from the country after Anju Bobby George in 2003.
First Indian track and field athlete to win world championship: Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. With this win, the then 18-year-old Neeraj became the first Indian track and field athlete to become a world champion in any event and any age level.
First Indian World Record holder in track & field: Neeraj Chopra Threw 86.48m at the junior championships in Poland to win the title. With this, he set the new under-20 world record, beating the 84.69m mark established by the previous holder, Latvia's Zigismunds Sirmais. Neeraj’s 86.48m attempt at Bydgoszcz still stands as both the U20 world record as well as the U20 Asian record in the javelin throw.
Indian national javelin throw record holder: Neeraj Chopra’s best attempt to date came at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 in Sweden on June 30, 2022, where he managed his personal best of 89.94m to establish the new national record.
First Indian to win javelin throw gold at Asian Games: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian javelin thrower to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. Before him, Gurtej Singh was the only men’s javelin thrower from the country to win a medal – bronze at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Neeraj threw 88.06m to claim the 2018 Asian Games title.
First Indian to win a Diamond League meet: Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a Diamond League meet after he topped the field in Lausanne in 2022. With a depleted field that had world champion Anderson Peters missing, the Indian comfortably led the charts with an 89.08m throw, in his first attempt.
First Indian to become Diamond League champion: Neeraj Chopra is the first Indian athlete in history to clinch the Diamond League trophy, by winning the Zurich Diamond League 2022 Final. The Indian ace recorded a best throw of 88.44m to beat Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and 2016 champion Jakub Vadlejch to the title.
First Indian to become world champion: Neeraj Chopra became India's first world champion after he clinched the gold medal in the men's javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest with an effort of 88.17m. It was Neeraj Chopra's second straight medal at the world championships after his silver at Oregon 2022.
Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024 confirmed
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw has been announced and Djokovic, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden while Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will face Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics.
The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.
The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event.
From Nadal's water bottle, Tamberi's half-beard, and making boyfriend wearing lucky socks: Top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024
Despite the capacity for careful calculation, athletes understand there will always be elements beyond their control. Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024 that will help athletes get competition-ready.
The life of a professional athlete is one of precision. Despite the capacity for careful calculation, they understand there will always be elements beyond their control. This may be why many athletes lean just as much on their pregame rituals as they do on their months of preparation. Because in the seconds before the big match, tournament, or race, who wouldn’t want any help they could get? Let's take a look at the top superstitions at Paris Olympics 2024that will help athletes get competition-ready.
Rafael Nadal is well-known for his many behaviours, both superstitious and routine. The on-court routine of Rafael Nadal has been among the most discussed topics in tennis. In almost every match, the Spaniard takes a sip of each of his two bottles and places them in a certain position. He meticulously arranges his water bottles so that the labels face the same direction. He also follows a strict sequence of actions, such as not touching the court lines and performing a specific routine with his shirt, hair, and face before serving a shot.
Naomi Osaka and her superstitions about bottles
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka wants her water bottles to be completely aligned. She believes most athletes have very strong superstitions. Like Nadal, her ritual revolves around the precise arrangement of the bottles, making sure they are facing the same direction and placed in a specific order.
Daniil Medvedev also has the “crazy” rituals. He had one rigid routine that he followed before every match. Although Medvedev is pretty flexible when it comes to switching up his routines, he admitted there was one thing he always had to keep the same and couldn’t do even one second too late, which is his eating habits. Medvedev always eats exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes before his matches.
Gianmarco Tamberi's signature look
Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi known for his beard, which is half shaved, has been his signature style since 2011. Tamberi won the European Athletics Championships in Rome. After the competition, when he was presented with his gold medal during the awards ceremony, he stepped on the podium with his beard fully shaven. Tamberi has been ranked as the No. 1 high jumper in Europe for 135 weeks. He will carry the Italian flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Carissa Moore's husband wears her lucky socks
American surfer Carissa Moore, a five-time world champion, has a unique superstition that relies not on herself but on her boyfriend. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion firmly believes that her boyfriend's socks bring her good fortune on the waves.
Vashti Cunningham, the American high jumper watches Kill Bill, the night before every competition. She also does Bible study along with her father before going out and getting ready for warm-up and jumping.
Besides Vashti, Brazilian volleyball player Darlan Souza performs a Naruto-inspired move before serving. While American Olympic golf champion Nelly Korda always carries three tees in her hair, which she replaces only when they break. And Paralympic triathlete Melissa Stockwell is wearing a lucky dinosaur given to her by her son.
India at Olympics: India's Olympic medal tally by every edition
India's history in the Olympic Games is 124 years old. From Paris 1900 to Tokyo 2020, India at Olympics has been very special. Here is India's Olympic medal tally by every edition.
India's history in the Olympic Games is 124 years old. From Paris 1900 to Paris 2024, India at Olympics has been very special. Tokyo Olympics 2020 was the most successful year for India and the country had the second best performance in the Paris Olympics 2024.
In the Olympic history spanning over 100 years, India has won a total of 41 medals, which include 10 gold, 10 silver and 21 bronze. Hockey has been the most fruitful sport for India in terms of medals. Interestingly, India has won 8 out of 10 gold medals only in men's hockey. Apart from this, India has succeeded in winning medals in boxing, wrestling, tennis, badminton, shooting, athletics and weightlifting. Here is India's Olympic medal tally by every edition.
India at Olympics
1900 Paris Olympics | 2 Medals
Norman Pritchard - Silver - Men's 200m hurdles
Norman Pritchard - Silver - Men's 200m sprint
India first participated in the Paris Olympics in 1900, with Norman Pritchard winning 2 silver medals in athletics (men's 200 m and men's 200 m hurdles). He became India's first medal winner in the Olympics. With this, India became the first Asian country to win an Olympic medal. Pritchard was the first Indian (British-Indian) athlete to win more than one Olympic medal for the country.
1928 Amsterdam Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
India won their first-ever gold medal at the Olympics in men's hockey. Dhyan Chand led a dominant team to gold, kicking off a streak of six consecutive gold medals.
1932 Los Angeles Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
India secured their biggest-ever win (24-1 vs USA) en route to their second consecutive gold in men's hockey.
1936 Berlin Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
Dhyan Chand made it a hat-trick of gold medals for India, defeating Germany in the men's hockey final.
1948 London Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
India won their first-ever Olympic medal as an independent nation, with no surprise as to its origin. A new generation of hockey players led by Balbir Singh Sr. continued India's dominance.
1952 Helsinki Olympics | 2 Medals
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
KD Jadhav - Bronze - Men's wrestling (bantamweight)
India got its first individual Olympic medal in the 1952 Olympics when Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav created history in wrestling. Initially he was not selected in the team and later on the request of the Maharaja of Patiala, he got a place in the team. Jadhav, who won the bronze medal, could not get a chance to play in the Olympics again and he started working in Maharashtra Police.
The Indian men's hockey team made it five in a row, with Balbir Singh Sr. increasing his legend with a superb performance in the final.
1956 Melbourne Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
As far as team sports are concerned, the Indian men's hockey team had set a record by winning 6 consecutive gold medals in the Olympics between 1928 and 1956. This is an Olympic feat not bettered in a team event apart from USA's basketball teams.
1960 Rome Olympics | Medals
India men's hockey team - Silver - Field hockey
India reached double digits in their Olympic medal tally but it wasn't a gold in men's hockey as expected, with a Balbir Singh Sr. - less India losing to Pakistan in the final.
1964 Tokyo Olympics | Medals
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
The Indian men's hockey team faced Pakistan in the final for a third consecutive time but won gold this time.
1968 Mexico City Olympics | 1 Medals
India men's hockey team - Bronze - Field hockey
The Indian men's hockey team failed to reach the final for the first time in the last eight Olympics, losing in the semifinal to Australia and then beating West Germany to win bronze.
India made it 10 consecutive medals for the men's hockey team, as well as the nation, which went medal-less in 1976. A loss to Pakistan in the semifinal was followed by a win over Netherlands to win bronze.
1980 Moscow Olympics | 1 Medal
India men's hockey team - Gold - Field hockey
The Indian men's hockey team returned to the summit, after a catastrophic 1976 Olympics and won gold. It would be Indian hockey's last medal until the bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
1996 Atlanta Olympics | 1 Medal
Leander Paes - Bronze - Men's singles, Tennis
Leander Paes did the work of getting the country, which was very enthusiastic about hockey, interested in tennis. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Paes made it to the semi-finals and there he had to face defeat against Andre Agassi. The bronze medal won by Paes is India's first and only Olympic medal which has come from tennis. This medal came after returning empty-handed from 3 consecutive Olympics.
Karnam Malleswari is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She won a bronze medal in weightlifting in the 2000 Olympics. In this event, she lifted a weight of 240 kg.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the first Indian to win a silver medal in shooting. He is also the first Indian to win an individual silver medal. He achieved this feat in 2004.
2008 Beijing Olympics | 3 Medals
Abhinav Bindra - Gold - Men's 10m air rifle shooting
Sushil Kumar - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 66kg)
Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in shooting in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. He became the first player to win an individual Olympic gold for India.
2012 London Olympics | 6 Medals
Gagan Narang - Bronze - Men's 10m air rifle shooting
Yogeshwar Dutt - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 60kg)
Sushil Kumar - Silver - Men's wrestling (freestyle 66kg)
India doubled their best-ever tally at the Olympics, with six medals taking their overall tally to 26. Saina Nehwal won India's first-ever badminton medal, with five-time world champion Mary Kom becoming the first Indian woman to win a boxing medal (only because this was the first edition of women's boxing at the Olympics). Sushil Kumar also became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.
2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics | 2 Medals
Sakshi Malik - Bronze - Women's wrestling (58kg)
PV Sindhu - Silver - Women's singles, Badminton
India were swiftly brought back down to earth after the success of London, with only two medals in Brazil. PV Sindhu won her first Olympic medal, while Sakshi Malik became the first (and till date, only) Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya - Silver - Men's wrestling (freestyle 57kg)
Bajrang Punia - Bronze - Men's wrestling (freestyle 65kg)
Neeraj Chopra - Gold - Men's javelin throw
The Covid-affected Tokyo Olympics proved to be India's most successful ever, with seven medals taking India's overall tally to 35 medals. PV Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win multiple Olympic medals, while the Indian men's hockey team ended their 41-year medal drought. Neeraj Chopra won the nation's first-ever gold medal in Athletics (and only the second individual gold ever by an Indian).
Bronze - Men’s Hockey Team - 2024 Paris - Men’s field hockey
Bronze - Aman Sehrawat - 2024 Paris - Wrestling men’s 57kg freestyle
The Paris Olympics 2024 proved to be India's second joint most successful ever, with six medals taking India's overall tally to 41 medals. Manu Bhaker brought two bronze medals home, one in individual event and one in mixed event with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol. Swapnil Kusale also won bronze in shooting, winning in the Men's 50m rifle 3 positions.
The Indian Men's Hockey Team also won bronze and held their postiion at the top in terms of winning the most medals at the hockey event at the Olympics. Neeraj Chopra couldn't bring gold home this time but clinched a silver medal to extend India's medal tally. India were missing out on the Wrestling and Aman Sehrawat filled that gap by winning the fifth bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics.
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