World no. 4 Rafael Nadal, who was on the precipice of advancing to his seventh Wimbledon final, was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal injury. Nadal played through the ailment in a five-set quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz, though his family, most notably his father, was imploring for him to stop the match.

The Spaniard was clearly listening to his body- and his family- in making the shocking decision on Thursday. Nadal spoke about his decision to the media, getting honest about his thought process, per the ATP Tour's Twitter account.

“I have a tear in the muscle in the abdominal…I feel very sad to say that.”

Those are Nadal's words, via the Tennis Channel. It's saddening for the 22-time Grand Slam champion to have to pull out of Wimbledon. However, as Nadal, went on to say, there was something greater at stake than just a major title.

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That is the ultimate competitor. Nadal “didn't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play my best.” Spoken like a true winner. Rafa also said that his “happiness” is more important than a title.

At 36 years old, Nadal has to look at the calendar and manage his health now more than ever. He perhaps could have pushed through the injury further at this year's Wimbledon, but that would potentially cost him even more down the road.

As Nadal said, his happiness and health are more important than a title. However, when he comes back healthy, there's no doubt that Rafael Nadal will be right back in the mix looking to add to his collection of trophies.