Rafael Nadal has pulled out of Wimbledon ahead of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner was seen to be struggling with an abdominal injury during his quarter-final win against USA’s Taylor Fritz on Wednesday – and it seems he has not been able to recover in time for his next match.
The Spaniard underwent medical tests on Thursday morning, with reports suggesting he had suffered a seven-millimetre tear in his abdomen.
He initially indicated that he wished to play on even in spite of the injury, but it appears the pain has proven too much for him.
The news means Kyrgios will receive a bye through to the final – his first at Grand Slam level – where he will play the winner of the other semi-final between British No.1 Cameron Norrie and defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.
It also ends Nadal’s quest to become the first man since Rod Laver to win all four Grand Slams in a calendar year, following his triumphs in the Australian Open and French Open earlier in 2022.
He had earlier discussed the injury during his on-court interview following his quarter-final win, revealing that he had considered pulling out during that match.
“Of course in the abdominal something is not going well, being honest,” he said.
“Yeah, I had to find a way to serve a little bit different. For a lot of moments I was thinking maybe I will not be able to finish the match but the court, the energy is something else. So thanks.”
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