Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from his Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios due to injury.
Nadal played through pain and defied the pleas of his family to quit during his five-set win over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.
The 36-year-old revealed an abdominal injury had got “much worse” during Wednesday’s match, with the Spaniard unsure if he would be fit enough to face Kyrgios on Friday.
Nadal underwent a scan on Thursday and although he appeared on the practice courts at the All England Club that afternoon and took part in a light session, he later confirmed at a press conference that he had suffered a tear to his abdominal muscle.
Nadal’s withdrawal means Kyrgios progresses as a walkover and the Australian will play either Novak Djokovic or Britain’s Cameron Norrie in Sunday’s men’s final.
At a press conference confirming his exit, the Spaniard explained how he would put himself at further risk if he continued.
“As everybody saw I’ve been suffering with a pain in my abdominal [muscle], I’ve got a tear in the muscle. It does not make sense to play,” he said.
“I need to respect myself, I don’t want to not be competitive enough to play at this level. I can’t win two matches in these circumstances. I can’t serve at the right speed, I can’t do the normal movement to serve.
“I’ve been playing very well and at a high level, that makes me feel a bit worse. I thought I had a chance to win.”
Nadal also confirmed that he hopes to still partake in the US Open after his injury heals, with a four-week timeline expected.
En route to the semi-finals, the two-time Wimbledon champion saw off Francisco Cerundolo, Ricardas Berankis, Lorenzo Sonego and Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening rounds, before his five-set epic against Fritz on Wednesday.
