Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon semifinal due to abdominal tear
Rafael Nadal's incredible run of Grand Slam success in 2022 will not include a Wimbledon title. The Spanish tennis star pulled out of the tournament Thursday due to an abdominal injury. The withdrawal means Nick Kyrgios is through to his first career Grand Slam final.
According to Marca, Nadal was dealing with a seven millimeter tear in an abdominal muscle. During a quarterfinals win against Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, Nadal needed a lengthy medical timeout in the second set, and his father could be seen in the crowd gesturing that he should retire the match. Nadal eventually continued the match and rallied to win three of the last four sets to advance.
"For a lot of moments, I was thinking, 'Maybe I will not be able to finish the match,'" Nadal said after the win, via ESPN.
On Thursday, Nadal practiced his serving ahead of a semifinal against Kyrgios but announced his withdrawal later in the day during a press conference.
Kyrgios, 27, reached his first career Grand Slam semifinal with a three-set victory over Cristian Garin on Wednesday. Now he's through to a final where he'll face the winner of a Friday match between Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie.
Earlier in the tournament, Kyrgios received a $10,000 fine for spitting in the direction of a fan and a $4,000 fine for obscenities aimed at the chair umpire. Kyrgios is also due to appear in court next month, facing potential charges for assault.
Nadal is the all-time leader in Grand Slam men's singles titles with 22, two more than Djokovic and Roger Federer.
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