Spain's Rafael Nadal holds a press conference on the eleventh day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on Thursday. Nadal announced on Thursdat that he was withdrawing from Wimbledon after failing to recover from an abdominal injury Spain's Rafael Nadal holds a press conference on the eleventh day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on Thursday. Nadal announced on Thursdat that he was withdrawing from Wimbledon after failing to recover from an abdominal injury. Photo: Andrew Toth/AFP
London — Rafael Nadal announced Thursday that he was withdrawing from Wimbledon after failing to recover from an abdominal injury, ending his hopes of a calendar Grand Slam.
Semi-final opponent Nick Kyrgios will receive a walkover into Sunday's final, where he will play either top seed and six-time champion Novak Djokovic or Britain's Cameron Norrie.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, struggled with the injury in a gruelling five-set win against 11th-seeded American Taylor Fritz on Wednesday.
Spanish sports daily Marca reported on Thursday that Nadal has a "seven-millimetre" tear to his abdomen but had still intended to play.
But the 36-year-old scheduled a press conference at which he confirmed he was withdrawing.
"I have to pull out of the tournament. As everybody saw yesterday I have been suffering with the pain in the abdominal area," he said.
"I have a tear in the muscle."
Nadal, the second seed, was visibly in pain during his match with Fritz and was forced to take a medical time-out in the second set.
But he returned to the court and twice recovered from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7/6 (10/4) in four hours and 21 minutes.
AFP
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