Rafa Nadal is in his final season as a professional tennis player. Or so it seems, although the Spaniard hasn't ruled out continuing if his body allows. For now, he has made it clear that he wants to be at his best for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Having decided not to compete on grass at Wimbledon, he is now training on clay at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Manacor.

His preparations are going well. The 22-time Grand Slam winner has always said, "It would be hard to retire better than with an Olympic gold medal", and no one knows himself better than he does. He rested for a few days after losing in the first round at Roland Garros to Zverev, who eventually joined Carlos Alcaraz in the final. 

Nadal performed well. However, his opponent was one of the favourites to win the final. His unseeded status, due to a long absence caused by physical problems, complicates the draw.

After the clay of Paris, he preferred to return home for personal training. He decided not to go to Wimbledon, where he has won twice. Now, Nadal himself has announced his route to the Olympic competition. The tennis player posted a video on his social networks with the comment: "Hoy/Aujourd'hui/Today".

The image in his video is very descriptive. It shows Nadal's characteristic gesture, with his fist clenched and his arm tensed. Next to it appears his next goal: "Olympic Games".

Nadal will go to Paris 2024 with a protected singles ranking. This will allow him to avoid seeded players in the early rounds. He will also compete in the doubles, teaming up with reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz.

His Olympic record is golden. He won gold in singles at Beijing 2008 and in doubles with Marc López at Rio 2016. Before the Games begin on 26 July, Nadal's last target is the ATP 250 Bastad 2024 tournament. This will mark his return to the courts from 15 to 21 July. It will be a testing ground before the Paris event. The Swedish tournament has already attracted the likes of Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Tallon Griekspoor, Mariano Navone and current world number one Jannik Sinner.

At 38, this could be his last season as a professional and almost certainly his last Olympics. In a recent interview with French newspaper L'Équipe, the Spaniard revealed, "The thought of retirement has crossed my mind many times. "If I can't enjoy it, if I feel very limited physically, it doesn't make sense. Especially at the age of 38, with a family and after the career I've had so far," he said.

However, things have changed. Nadal told L'Équipe, "For a long time I didn't feel ready to train or play the way I wanted to, but recently I've seen a positive evolution. "I feel I'm getting back the joy of playing, the joy of having fun. I want to give myself the opportunity to see if my physical condition stays at this level. Or if it's just a passing moment and things go bad again," Nadal concluded. For now, his feelings are increasingly positive, as is his mood. That is why he has dared to share his physical progress and the pace of his training on social media.