Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon Semi-Final

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, had to withdraw from his Wimbledon semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios because of an abdominal strain he suffered during his victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. This ended his dreams of winning a calendar Grand Slam.

The attractions of yet another championship ultimately lost out to the importance of health after a day of reflection and deliberation on what really important.

I am very sad.

I believe I can’t win two matches under these circumstances, I can’t serve.

Rafael Nadal

Despite the great success Nadal has had—he now holds the record for the most major victories in the men’s grand slams with 22—injuries have hindered him at every turn. Throughout his career, Nadal has now withdrawn from 13 grand slam competitions. Nadal’s clay season was disrupted this year alone by a stress fracture in one of his ribs, and he subsequently battled with his degenerative foot condition during the French Open, raising questions about his participation at Wimbledon despite winning his first 20 matches of the season.

After putting in so much effort to be well in time for Wimbledon and making great strides with his foot, he was forced to withdraw due to a fresh ailment.

I did all the things the best way possible to give myself a chance here. I am in the semi-finals, so I’m playing very well the last couple of days, especially yesterday, at the beginning of the match, playing at a very, very high level. Even that makes me feel little bit worst because I felt that playing at the level that I was playing, probably I will have a chance.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal: Withdrawal Announcement Press Conference

Nadal felt optimistic about the future despite the acute discomfort of his retirement. Although the injury will keep him out of action for three to four weeks, he claimed that he will be able to return to the courts and continue his training without having to serve during the next week. He doesn’t think the tour’s change to the North American hard-court season will interfere with his scheduled itinerary.

After years of public attention and debate, Kyrgios has finally made it to a grand slam final, where he will take on either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie. Since Lleyton Hewitt at the 2005 US Open, Kyrgios is the first Australian male to compete in a major championship. He is also the first player in the open era to advance to a Wimbledon final through a walkover.

Image Credits: Wimbledon

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