Rafael Nadal announced saddening news to the tennis fans worldwide, supporting him to win his third title of the year in Wimbledon. On Thursday, the Spaniard withdrew from Wimbledon ahead of his semifinal encounter against Nick Kyrgios. The 22-time Grand Slam winner suffered an abdominal tear on Wednesday during the quarterfinal game against Taylor Fritz. The five-set encounter eventually ended with Rafa winning in the final set tiebreaker.
However, the world no. 4 struggled to serve due to abdominal pain as he fought through the pain to enter the semifinals. Unfortunately, as per reports, Nadal had a seven-millimeter tear in his abdomen, but he still intended to continue. However, the 36-year-old decided had to make a tough decision against his will on Thursday. During a late press conference at the All England Club, Rafa confirmed his withdrawal from Wimbledon 2022.
Nadal said that he was there to pull out of the tournament. Rafa mentioned that everyone saw him suffering from abdominal pain and that something was not okay. Moreover, the Spaniard confirmed that he had a muscle tear. Rafael continued that he thought about what should be his decision all day. Eventually, Nadal felt it did not make sense to continue playing even though he had tried to keep going with injuries in his career. Rafael shared that the circumstances were tough. But it was obvious that continuing to play would make the injury worse.
Nadal Suffers Abdominal Tear, Ending His Wimbledon Hopes
The 36-year-old struggled to serve during the four hours and 21 minutes encounter against Taylor Fritz which he won by 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10/4). Nadal had to take a medical timeout during the second set and resumed playing after taking pain relief. He tried to practice on Thursday but realized that his injury had taken the competitiveness out of his game. Thus, the Spaniard\’s hope of winning all four majors in a calendar year has ended. Earlier in 2022, Rafa won the Australian Open, followed by his 14th Roland Garros title in Paris.
However, the world no. 4 stated that he never thought about the calendar slam. He was focused on his diary and happiness. Moreover, Nadal made the decision to withdraw as he did not believe he could win the final two matches with his abdominal injury. Rafa continued that apart from not being able to serve at the right speed, he is unable to do his normal movements to serve. Thus, Nada concluded, \”I don\’t want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to play to achieve my goals.\”
Wimbledon To Refund Tickets For Nadal\’s Semifinal Match
Wimbledon organizers have taken a U-turn on the refund issue. Nadal had told the media that fans would not get a refund for Friday\’s center court tickets. The Spaniard stated that there would be a full program on the court, and hence, there would be no refund.
However, the organizers at All England Club reversed their decision and gave the fans an option of a full refund if they contacted the club before midnight on Thursday. In addition, fans who do not opt for a refund will now see three matches. The women\’s doubles semifinals have been moved between Djokovic\’s and Norrie\’s clash.