Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty
Rafael Nadalannounced that he is withdrawing fromWimbledondue to an abdominal injury.
On Thursday,the 36-year-old athletesaid he would not play Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals on Friday after struggling with an abdominal tear.
“Unfortunately, as you can imagine, if I am here, it’s because I have to pull out from the tournament,” the Spanish tennis player said at a press conference. “I have a tear in the muscle in the abdominal … It’s obvious that if I keep going, the injury [is] gonna be worse and worse.”
“I made my decision because I believe I can’t win two matches under these circumstances,” the Spaniard added. “I can’t do my normal movement to serve.”
Nadal said it would likely take three to four weeks to recover from the injury.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
The official Twitter account for Wimbledon responded to his announcement, writing, “We’re sad to see it end this way,@RafaelNadal.”
“Thank you for another year of unforgettable moments at The Championships.”
Prior to his announcement,the BBCreported that Nadal is suffering from a 7-millimeter tear in his abdominals.
Despite the injury, Nadal practiced for around 45 minutes on Thursday, according toESPN. His serves appeared to be a “vastly reduced speed,” according to the outlet.
Nadal powered through the injury for an epic victory against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, winning the back-and-forth contest 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6. However, he wore tape over his abdomen and had to get additional treatment during the five-set match.
Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty
Prior to the injury, Nadal was attempting to secure a third win at Wimbledon and a record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title. And as the winner of this year’s Australian and French Opens, he also had the chance to become the 2022 Grand Slam champion with titles at Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open in September.
For the championship match on Sunday, Kyrgios is now expected to face either top-seeded Novak Djokovic or No. 9 Cameron Norrie.
source: people.com
