Rafael Nadal has to say goodbye to the dream Grand Slam, and also to a possible final at Wimbledon 2022. The Spanish champion retired from the London Slam on the eve of the semi-final that he was supposed to play against Nick Kyrgios, due to the abdominal injury he suffered. in the quarter-final match against Taylor Fritz.
Here are the words of him at the press conference: “I can’t imagine winning two games like this. I don’t want to go on the pitch and not be competitive, out of respect for myself and not to make things worse. I have seen my career in jeopardy because of my foot, and there are dangerous things that can slow down my sports career. As I’ve always said, the most important thing to me is my happiness.
I’ve worked hard to be here, but I can’t risk being away for too long. It is very difficult for me. I am very sad about this decision. I didn’t think about the possibility of not being able to win the four Slams this year, but about my daily happiness and my daily work.
The difficulties I have encountered demonstrate how important it is for me to be here. I’m sorry because I was playing at a good level and I certainly would have had a chance here. I didn’t retire with Firtz because I didn’t want to do it in the middle of a quarter-final. I won the match and found a way to finish the game, which I am proud of. Analyzing the injury, I made this decision thinking about my health and my future. ”
Here is the video of the press conference: