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Rafael Nadal Wimbledon 2022
ATP Tennis Players, Rafa Nadal, Tennis News, Wimbledon

‘They told me to quit’ – Rafael Nadal defied father and sister in finishing Wimbledon epic


Rafael Nadal has admitted that his father and sister wanted him to retire from his quarter-final battle against Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon as he struggled for hours with an abdominal injury.

The 22-time Slam champion looked on the verge of having to pull out in the second set, before somehow recovering after a medical timeout to go on and win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) after more than four brutal hours of tennis. 

Before that second set medical timeout, Nadal’s father Sebastian and sister Maria could be seen gesticulating to his son, appearing to call for him to quit for his own health. 

When asked in his post-match press conference to clarify on the moment, the Spaniard admitted: “they told me to retire from the match. For me it is tough to retire in the middle of a match. 

“It’s not easy even if I had that idea for such a long time [in the match]. But on the other hand, I did it a couple of times in my tennis career. 

“It’s something that I hate to do. So I just keep trying, and that’s it.”

Having already suffered a cracked rib earlier in the season, Nadal is weary of his abdominal injury, and he further revealed that he is worried he will not be able to compete in the semi-finals on Friday. 

On whether he will play Nick Kyrgios come that time or not, he said: “Honestly, I can’t give you a clear answer. Because if I gave you a clear answer and tomorrow another thing happens, I will be a liar.”

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