Like rival Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal could play in the mixed doubles event in Rio 2016
After the Swiss pair of Roger Federer and Martina Hingis has confirmed their participation in the mixed doubles event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, another couple of top ranked and popular players could represent their country in the summer games next year.
According to multiple reports from Fox Sports and The Courier Mail, Spain’s Garbine Muguruza and Rafael Nadal could pair up in the mixed doubles tennis event in Brazil next year, as stated by Conchita Martinez, the captain of the Spanish team for their teams in the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.
Currently, both in the men’s and women’s rankings, Nadal and Muguruza are the highest-ranked Spanish players in their respective tours. Nadal has fallen off the rankings in recent years but is back at World No. 5 while Muguruza is enjoying a career year to climb to World No. 3. In the doubles’ rankings, Nadal is ranked 88th while Muguruza is ranked 16th in the world.
In the 2015 season, Nadal has played in 20 doubles’ matches going 13-7 for the year. Meanwhile, Nadal’s doubles partner prospect has been more successful in doubles play earning two titles, with women’s doubles partner Carla Suarez Navarro at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan and the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, Great Britain.
The 29-year-old Nadal has represented Spain at the 2008 London Olympics where he won the gold medal for his country in the men’s singles competition. Nadal was set to represent Spain for the second straight Olympics but pulled out of the London tournament due to an injury.
Muguruza had a breakout season in 2015 making the final of the Wimbledon Championships losing to World No. 1 Serena Williams in the championship round, 4-6 4-6. She also made the quarterfinals of the French Open for the last two seasons.
Should Nadal confirm his participation in the mixed doubles event in Brazil, it will make an interesting subplot in the competition with rival Federer also in the mix for a gold medal contention in the same event.
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