Rafael Nadal's preparation ahead of his quest for the third Olympic gold (one in singles in 2008 and the second in the doubles for Spain in 2016) received a jolt following the aggravation of an injury on Thursday. 

Speaking on Spanish radio, his coach Carlos Moya said, “He had some discomfort yesterday (Wednesday) morning. In the afternoon he was more limited and before it got worse he decided to stop.”

Moya also added, “I can't guarantee anything, neither that he will not play or he will play. At the moment he needs to rest and undergo treatment. He is obviously very excited to play in these Olympics. It has been something marked on his calendar for years. He is a born competitor and wants to play singles and doubles.”

Nadal himself revealed recently that he is excited about the doubles with Alcaraz. It will be the first time they will play together and according to Nadal’s coach it will be something historic for Spanish tennis,

Rafael Nadal will face Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the men's singles first round, and if he wins, he could face Novak Djokovic, who will need to win his first-round fixture vs Matthew Ebden.

Speaking on his future plans, Nadal didn't make any retirement statement and revealed that he would make a decision after the Paris Olympics and also confirmed his Laver Cup participation.

“Nothing is linear in this life. Some moments and states normally go hand in hand with physical states. I try to enjoy and live what I feel at each moment,” he said.

“Always with a positive vision of what my day-to-day is within my possibilities. After this, I am going to take some time to think carefully about what I need for myself as a person, and what I really want to do. I will play the Laver Cup,” he added.