Rafael Nadal Withdraws From 2022 Wimbledon
Well, it’s sad to see it end this way, but 22-time Grand Slam winner, Rafael Nadal, has officially withdrawn from Wimbledon’s 2022 tournament. This decision comes ahead of a semifinal match he was set to play against Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
Nadal originally entered the tournament with a long-lasting foot injury. However, he actually tore a muscle in his abdomen in an earlier match at Wimbledon. According to Nadal, the injury was further aggravated in his quarterfinals match against Taylor Fritz, which took place on Wednesday.
In his match against Fritz, Nadal used a medical timeout in hopes of easing the pain in his abdomen. Eventually, he was able to recover and complete yet another comeback to advance to the semis. Even then, Nadal’s box was suggesting that he retire from the match to not risk a more serious injury.
Nadal spoke honestly about considering whether he would play in the semifinal match.
“The decision at the end — all the decisions — are the player’s decision, but at the same time I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way, no? That is even something more important than win Wimbledon, that is the health.”
Quote via Tennis365
This withdrawal is truly heartbreaking to see, as Nadal has been playing top-tier tennis throughout the year.
“The level of tennis, if we put away the problems, something that’s difficult, the level of tennis, the feeling that I am having with the ball on my hand is honestly great. I am feeling myself playing very well,” Nadal said.
Quote via Tennis365
Nick Kyrgios is through to the finals and will face the winner of Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie. Although it’s disheartening to see Nadal’s bid for completing a calendar slam end this way, there’s no doubt that Nadal will come back even stronger, a story we have seen countless times in the past.
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