"If he can't play at 100% there's no way he's going to do it. But he said 'I need to have respect for myself, I don't want to go out there if I can't compete or serve well'."įormer British number one John Lloyd on BBC TV: "When he said about not being able to play two matches he knows that even if by some miracle he had got through Nick Kyrgios there's no way he can get through two matches. The guy just wants to compete, the will, the effort. "He comes here and most of us thought he would retire yesterday in the second or third set.
After the foot injury at Roland Garros and the injections, it's hard to believe he won a major with a numb foot. Two-time Grand Slam winner Tracy Austin on BBC TV: "You can tell how sad he is - he loves to compete, he's 36 years old and boy, has he had a tough year. When you're 36 years of age, these injuries are likely to crop up more.Įven though it is going to be a crushing disappointment to the Centre Court ticket holders, if he is not able to play to at least 90% of his ability, then he would probably feel there is very little point in taking to the court. It appears on reflection he has decided there is no way he could be truly competitive in a semi-final against Nick Kyrgios. It means the calendar Grand Slam is not to be for Nadal, but it was always unlikely. The US Open, which begins on 29 August, is the next Grand Slam tournament. "I hope this will allow me to do my normal calendar, the calendar which I have in mind." "It will be three or four weeks, which is normal for these kind of injuries. "I had this feeling in the abdomen for the past week," he said. Nadal said it was the right decision to finish his match against Fritz, adding he was not a person to have regrets over decisions he makes. He suffers from Mueller-Weiss syndrome - a rare degenerative condition that affects bones in the feet - and shortly after his Paris triumph he had a treatment that places heat on the nerves to numb pain. Nadal then won the French Open with no feeling in his left foot as it was anesthetised because of chronic pain. He won his first 20 matches of the year before losing the Indian Wells final to Fritz, where he was hampered by a rib injury. He began the year by rallying from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev and lift the Australian Open title. Nadal has had a stunning year so far, despite playing much of it in pain from various injuries. Nadal does not regret finishing Fritz match
Nadal confirmed he has a tear in his abdominal muscle which means he would not be able to be competitive over two matches. Kyrgios will play Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final. "I have tried a lot of times in my career to keep going but it is obvious the injury will get worse," he said.