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Rafael Nadal has given a heartwarming gesture to Wimbledon staff the day after the Spaniard’s forced withdrawal from the tournament. Nadal has sorely missed the chance to continue his hunt for the 2022 Grand Slam after pulling out with an injury.
The 36-year-old was due to face Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals, having beaten American Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. However, Nadal was forced to withdraw the day before his clash with Kyrgios after picking up an injury in his clash with Fritz.
The decision was undoubtedly a difficult one for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who revealed the news after calling a press conference at SW19. Revealing his withdrawal, Nadal admitted he didn’t believe he was fit to ‘win two games‘ and win the title.
In a statement, he said: “It is obvious that if I continue the injury will get worse… I made my decision because I believe that I cannot win two matches. I don’t want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to achieve my goal.
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The injury at Wimbledon is another fitness setback for the Spanish star, who has struggled with injuries for the past 12-18 months. Although he has won both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, rumors continue to swirl that Nadal may be ready to end his career due to constant fitness issues.
Despite that, the Spanish star is set to make a quick comeback after Rogers Cup tournament director Eugene Lapierre confirmed he expects Nadal to play next month. He said: “Nadal really wants to come to Montreal and his hotel rooms are already booked. He was sent a crate of balls to use during the tournament to prepare. He is expected to return to training on Monday.”
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