The All England Lawn Tennis Club has released a statement in reaction to Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios. An abdominal muscle injury has caused Nadal to be ruled out of the match against Kyrgios on Friday, which means the Australian will go straight to the final.
The Spaniard had been looking for his third Grand Slam of 2022 and his 23rd overall, with Cameron Norrie facing Novak Djokovic in the other half of the draw. But Christmas’s quest to add to his number of seniors and his ambitions to win the Calendar Slam have been ruined by his stomach muscle problem.
Reports on Thursday suggested that the two-time Wimbledon champion, 37, suffered a 7mm tear in his abdomen. And he confirmed at a press conference later the same day that he would not play against Kyrgios in what would have been an exciting semi-final clash on the central court.
The AELTC said in reaction to the news: “We understand our condolences to Rafa Nadal for his withdrawal from the semifinals of Individual Cavallers. We appreciate the effort he has worked to be able to compete and wish him much recovery.
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“I was thinking all day that I was thinking about the decision to make, but I don’t think it makes sense to go there, even if I try to move on with my career. These are very tough circumstances, but it’s obvious if I keep going. injury will be getting worse. Since the week I had some problems with my abdomen but things were more or less, I was able to control it but yesterday was the worst day.
“During the week I did tests to see how things evolved and it’s clear that yesterday after the game, the little thing I had a few days ago increased to something bigger. For me the most important thing is happiness, not the titles. .
“Even if everyone knows what I did to get here. I can’t risk the game and risk two or three months out of the competition. It’s my decision, I have to live with that and I can’t say anything else. I’m very sad. . “