Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon Semifinal Due To Injury Pushing Nick Kyrgios Into The Final

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Wimbledon semifinal after reportedly tearing a muscle in his abdomen earlier in the tournament. Australian Nick Kyrgios will now play the winner of the Novak Djokovic - Cam Norrie match for the Wimbledon title on Sunday.

Nadal was 19-0 in Grand Slam matches this year, but his withdrawal now shatters the dream of the Calendar Slam. The Spaniard had not played a tournament on grass in three years before arriving at Wimbledon.

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Nadal aggravated the abdominal muscle that was already bothering him during his five-set win over American Taylor Fritz on Wednesday. The New York Times notes that during a medical timeout he took in the second set of the match, family members in the crowd motioned to him to stop playing rather than risk further injury.

Following his thrilling match against Fritz, Nadal made it clear he was concerned about his health moving forward in the tournament.

“The decision at the end — all the decisions — are the player’s decision, but at the same time I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way, no? That is even something more important than win Wimbledon, that is the health,” Nadal said.

Kyrgios receives a pass-through to the final in what would have been his first ever Grand Slam semifinal on the singles side. The Aussie won the Australian Open doubles title earlier this year.