Nick Kyrgios has posted a message to Rafael Nadal following the Spaniard’s withdrawal from Wimbledon ahead of their semi-final clash. Nadal withdrew from the tournament due to a torn abdominal muscle.
He was scheduled to play Kyrgios in the second men’s semifinal on Friday. But the Australian has now qualified for Sunday’s final, where he will face either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie.
Responding to the news of Nadal’s retirement, Kyrgios wished the 35-year-old a speedy recovery. He wrote on Instagram: “Different players checked, different personalities. @rafaelnadal I hope your recovery is going well and we all hope to see you back soon. Until next time…”
Kyrgios was set to appear in his first Grand Slam semifinal. But now he will play his first final without having to win in the last four.
Speaking at his press conference, Nadal said he would have missed up to three months of play if he had gone through with Kyrgios. He said: “The most important thing is happiness more than any title.
“I can’t risk that much and be out of competition for two, three months because it will be a difficult thing for me. If it happens, it will happen, not because I haven’t been doing things the right way.”
Nadal missed a scheduled practice session on Court 10 on Thursday. Instead, he decided to hold a session away from the cameras on a training court.
But that seems to have kept him out this week. He added: “The communication was late because even so I was thinking all day about the decision to make, but I think there is no point in going, even if I have tried very hard in my career to continue.
“Very difficult circumstances in this one, I think it’s obvious if I continue the injury will get worse and worse. I made this decision because I cannot be competitive and win the next two games. I don’t want to make things worse, but I’m very sad.”
Nadal won the first two Grand Slams of the year, but at the Australian Open and the French Open. He was about to win a Calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career, but now that won’t be possible.
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