Rafa Nadal gave no assurance that he would be able to play in his Wimbledon semi-final against Australian Nick Kyrgios on Friday when the Spaniard played through an abdominal injury to defeat Taylor Fritz in an absorbing contest. Nadal, battling a physical illness, appeared close to retiring mid-match on center court on Wednesday but found the will to beat Fritz in four hours and 20 minutes.
Mallorcan would claim a calendar slam in a third Wimbledon title and a US Open victory over manicured lawns and Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2010 – a feat achieved in 1969 by Australian great Rod Laver. But there was no guarantee from the 36-year-old that he would be present on Center Court to continue his historic bid.
Asked about the possibility of playing against the 27-year-old Kyrgios, Nadal said: “I don’t know.” “Honestly, I can’t give you a clear answer because if I gave you a clear answer and something else happens tomorrow, I’ll be a liar.”
25 Shots of Pure Tennis Theater @Rafael Nadal @Taylor_Fritz97#wimbledon , #centrecourt100 pic.twitter.com/KwZg3hpOye— Wimbledon (@wimbledon) 6 July 2022
Nadal took medical timeout against 11th seed Fritz in the quarter-finals for injury treatment and said he would have to adjust his game to continue playing. However, the Spaniard considered retiring several times during the competition.
“I just wanted to give myself a chance. It’s not easy to leave the tournament, not easy to leave Wimbledon, even if the pain is hard,” said the 22-time Grand Slam winner. “I don’t know. I wanted to finish I fought. Proud of the fighting spirit and the way I managed to be competitive in that position. ,
Nadal said he is concerned about the injury and will undergo further scans on Thursday before making a decision on whether to continue competing in the grasscourt major. “I’m used to holding on to the pain and playing through the problems,” said Nadal, who played and won Roland Garros with pain-relieving injections before each match and only after radio frequency treatment his leg hurts. Shortly after confirmed participation in Wimbledon.
“Knowing that, when I feel something that I feel, it’s because something isn’t going right in the stomach. But let’s see. I’ve had these feelings for a few days. No doubt. “Today was the worst, there has been a significant increase of pain and limitation,” he said.
(with Reuters)