Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon with knee problems

Beneath the surface of the “toughest decision” of Rafael Nadal’s career was the realisation that for all the staggering bravado of his tennis and the many honours that it has brought him, the world No 1 and Wimbledon champion has long been asking more of his body than it was able to give in return.
The moment that Nadal, a six-times grand-slam champion, walked into the Wimbledon press room last night with a stern-looking Ian Ritchie, the All England Club chief executive, we knew that the game was up. For only the second time in the modern era, after the retirement from deep-seated shoulder problems of Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 champion, the men’s singles title will not be defended by its holder. Nadal tried to put a brave face on it.
Although the 23-year-old Spaniard long contended that those who believe his style of play and remarkable on-court attitude would be his physical undoing were seriously misjudging his fortitude, even he had to admit yesterday that he had “made mistakes”.
Asked to elaborate, he said: “Maybe I played too much, you never know. The truth is that sportsmen always play in pain, you don’t know where the limit is and where you can get to. I think I have reached that limit right now. I need to reset and come back stronger.”
The enduring wish of those who follow this sport must be that with a period of rest, with the right treatment — he is in brilliant hands — and with tons of patience, Nadal can do just that.
But we return to the dilemma faced by all players, that racket technology has advanced beyond all recognition — that new strings are coming on to the market that will induce yet more spin — and that unless a halt is called soon, the choice that the best player in the world has had to make will become a disastrous norm. If Nadal’s broken heart stands for anything, it is that the tennis authorities must make a stand — now.
The Wimbledon Championships have been dealt a shattering blow. When the champion arrived in London on Tuesday, he was fighting an uphill battle to be fit. Tests in Barcelona after his premature exit from the French Open, where he lost to Robin Söderling in the fourth round, had shown that he was suffering from oedemas in both knees. Nadal was not his usual upbeat self and Toni Nadal, his coach and uncle, cut a resigned figure. Two matches at Hurlingham, both of which he lost, only added to his anxiety.
“I tried everything, I worked hard in the last week, I tried to arrive here in my best condition,” he said. “It is my nature to start a tournament like this one, one that is one of the most special in my heart, only if I have a chance to win. This is one of the toughest decisions of my career and the situation makes me sad. There was no option.
“I have arrived at one of the most important moments of my year with the worst feelings. I had physical problems at Roland Garros and now I have to miss Wimbledon, too. It is tough to accept. I have amazing memories of this tournament, last year was one of the best moments of my life, this is one of the most special tournaments always. I want to come back with 100 per cent mentality and physically because it is very difficult to play well like this.”
The most immediate beneficiary is Andy Murray, the British No 1, who becomes the highest-ranked player in the top half of the draw. One by one as the names were drawn into his section, we ticked them into the box marked “very beatable”. Robert Kendrick, the American ranked No 76, comes first, then either Ernests Gulbis, of Latvia, or Riccardo Ghedin, an Italian qualifier, while Taylor Dent, an American and his probable third-round foe, has spent much of the past couple of years in a body brace, unable to move, the effect of back surgery.
For the most part, rational commentators do not look beyond the first round of any tennis tournament, and as for peering into the second week, that is asking for a poke in the eye. But with Murray on the verge of this Wimbledon, now that he has become a figure of such genuine respect, the urge is irresistible and there was a real feeling of “OK, bring it on” when the draw was completed.
Kendrick has won a single set from Murray in their three meetings — in the first round of the 2006 US Open — and on grass a month before that, when he was a genuine novice, the Scot beat him 6-0, 6-0 in Newport, Rhode Island. It was said, perhaps, that Kendrick had turned up at the Newport Casino, which is the tournament’s home, expecting to indulge in a game of craps and, well, that’s how his game turned out. Murray clearly has his number.
Source:The times