Rafael Nadal pulls out of 2022 Wimbledon semi-final
Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the 2022 Wimbledon semis due to an abdominal injury. Notably, he played through the pain in the quarters, edging past Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had called for a trainer in the second set for an abdominal problem. Nadal underwent a scan and confirmed he has a tear in his abdominal muscle.
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The injury almost forced Nadal out of his match against Fritz but he carried on and got the job done eventually. Nadal was desperate to complete the match and later on, he said that he ignored calls from his dad and sister to quit as he struggled with his movement. Nadal had a medical timeout as well, besides a strapping on his abdomen previously.
Rafa had to undergo tests
Rafa confirmed that he has been playing through pain over the last few days and he will undergo tests. "It's obvious that today is nothing new. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day," he said. "[There has] been an important increase of pain and limitation. Tomorrow I am going to have some more tests."
Rafa takes a call ahead of his semis clash
Against Fritz, Rafa went off the court during the second set, with the doctor giving him anti-inflammatories and painkillers. The physio also tried to relax his muscles. Rafa stated later on that it's hard to leave a tourney like Wimbledon even if the pain is hard. However, he has now chosen his body rather than going ahead for the clash against Nick Kyrgios.
Rafa won the 2022 French Open with a numb foot
Rafa won the 2022 French Open title, playing with an injured foot. He stayed afloat after having endured two weeks of injections for pain in his left foot. The injury was bothering him even before the start of the event. He played with a numb foot and won the title. Earlier in March, he suffered a stress fracture in one of his ribs.
I think it doesn't make sense to play, says Rafa
Rafa called a news conference and said, "Throughout the whole day I have been thinking about the decision to make." He added, "I think it doesn't make sense to play. I feel very sad to say that."
Key numbers for Rafa
Nadal has a 35-3 win-loss record in 2022. The Spaniard has maintained his 100% record in Grand Slams this year. He has won 19 matches in a row. Rafa had earlier won the 2022 Australian Open and then claimed the trophy at Roland Garros. Nadal has posted a tally of 58-12 win-loss record at Wimbledon. Overall at Slams, his win-loss record reads 310-41.
