Rafael Nadal, who has been battling the left wrist injury that forced him out of the French Open and Wimbledon, confirmed Tuesday that he will play singles and likely doubles in the Summer Games.
The world No. 5 won gold in Beijing in 2008 but was unable to compete in London in 2012 because of a knee injury.
Although Nadal indicated that his wrist is not yet 100 percent, the 14-time Slam winner decided in conjunction with the Spanish team that he would take the court in Rio de Janeiro.
"It's obvious that it's not the ideal situation, but at the same time, my captain had the confidence today that the best option is to try to have some positive results for our country," Nadal said. "The best thing is doing the six hours of practice that the wrist is not worse than yesterday. That's great news.
"I'm excited to be in the Olympics. This [happens] once every four years. You never know what's going on in the future, and I lost London. I'm excited to be here, and I am motivated to play."
Nadal plans to compete alongside friend Marc Lopez in men's doubles. Although he has yet to declare his participation in the mixed doubles event, one option for a partner would be 2016 French Open champion Garbine Muguruza.
Nadal is due to be Spain's flag-bearer at the Games.