On Wednesday, Rafael Nadal battled through a grueling five-set match against American Taylor Fritz. He overcame struggles and injury throughout the match, winning 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) to advance to the semifinals at Wimbledon. During the match, Nadal was seen wincing in pain, grabbing at his abdomen.
Much has been made about the chronic foot issue that he has been dealing with for a long time. But this was something new and clearly disrupted his abilities Wednesday. During the match, Rafael Nadal was given anti-inflammatories to relax the muscles in his abdomen.
Afterward, he was asked about the possibility of not being able to play against Nick Kyrgios in the next round. ESPN captured his comments.
“I don't know. Honestly, I can't give you a clear answer. I don't know exactly what I have. It's clear something's not right… I'm obviously worried,” said Nadal.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will get tests Thursday for an injury that first appeared almost a week ago. But during the first set Wednesday, you could see Nadal visibly in pain.
This tournament is particularly crucial toward Rafael Nadal's legacy. Novak Djokovic, the world's number one player, is on the other half of the semifinal. Djokovic currently sits at 20 Grand Slam titles. With age and injury working against Nadal, it's likely Djokovic might be able to surpass him if he takes the crown at the All English Club Sunday. But if Nadal can muster the strength to beat both Kyrgios and likely Djokovic, he will create some space between the two.
That very well could be enough to end the debate on who the greatest tennis player of all-time is.
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