Alarm bells rang at Roland Garros when a press conference for Rafael Nadal was scheduled from completely out of nowhere for 4:45 local time on Friday afternoon. Shortly thereafter, when Andy Murray concluded his interview, the tournament’s worst fears were confirmed. Nadal withdrew from the French Open due to a left wrist injury.
“Well, just, hello,” the nine-time champion started. “I’m here to announce that I have to retire from the tournament because I have a problem in my wrist that I have had a couple of weeks. Every day that happens is stronger, and I arrived here with a little bit of pain but something that I think I was able to manage. Every day was a little bit worse. We tried to do all the treatments possible. Every single day we spent a lot of hours here working so hard to try to play. Yesterday I played with an injection on the wrist with anesthetic, just to sleep my wrist, to play.
“I could play, but the thing is yesterday night I start to feel more and more pain, and today in the morning I feel that I could not move much the wrist. So I came here, I did MRI…. Well, and the results are not positive. The real thing is not 100 percent, you know. It’s not [torn], but if I keep playing (it will be torn in the) next couple of days. Every day the image is a little bit worse.
“It’s obvious that if it’s not Roland Garros, I will probably not take risks on playing the first two days, but is the most important event of the year for me so we tried our best. We take risks yesterday. That’s why we played with anesthetic injection, so without feeling at all on the wrist.
“But, you know, when I am coming to Roland Garros, I am coming — today I am coming thinking about winning the tournament. To win the tournament I need five more matches, and the doctor says that’s 100 percent impossible. That gonna be 100 percent [torn]. I cannot say in English because I don’t know exactly the name. Is I think is the sheath of the tendon. So if I continue playing, then will be impossible to finish the tournament. Is no chance that I can even practice more today. That’s it. I have to take that very bad decision for me, but just that’s part of the life, part of my career, too.
“I gonna keep going hard to recover as quick as possible and try to be back the next couple of years here having some more opportunities.”
Added Guy Forget, the tournament director, “First of all, my thoughts and all the people from the organization, the French Federation, [go] to Rafa…because, you know, he’s our biggest champion here. He won the tournament nine times. He has always made a priority to play our event.
“He said that it was his favorite tournament in his career and the most important one, and for him to actually withdraw from the tournament at this stage where he has already started to play, we know it’s a very painful decision.”
Marcel Granollers gets a walkover into the fourth round and will go up against either Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev for a place in the quarterfinals.
now as I take another look at the photos from the yesterday match I see bandage under Rafa’s left wristband…I was so thrilled with Rafa being back to his near best that I missed this…I really did not see this coming..
I went for a run..it helped forget for a little while…then I saw the news again…Rafa’s press conferences all over the place…it hurts so bad to see him looking so sad…Gosh Rafa! I wonder why this keeps happening to you…it’s gonna be another mental battle trying to come back from yet another injury…life does not seem fair…
“injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten”…
So sad…and sad for all tennis fans.
Shit. Just saw this on the news. So out of the blue. :/
The tournament just got robbed.
I am going back and forth between sadness and anger. I am still struggling to deal with this latest setback for rafa. If I feel so bad, I cannot imagine how Rafa is feeling.
Just when he finally got it all together, when he was playing so well, it all comes crashing down.
We know Rafa is strong, but he will be tested again. From what he said about the injury, he made the right decision. As painful as it must have been for him, he would have risked more serious injury.
I can only wish Rafa good luck and a speedy recovery.
Just the other day I was thinking the Murray/Stan winner will likely have a very tired Rafa/Nole to play in the final. Now I think Nole will have a knackered Stan/Murray in the final. NoleSlam just got a huge boost.
My guess, looking at the draw now, is that Andy Murray is still going to be just fine for the final. Andy is 5-0 over Isner and think Andy can finish him off in 3 sets – a stressful match but not terribly physically exhausting.
Kei went through a tough 5 set match with Verdasco today. Kei had never beat Gasquet before on any surface until this spring in Madrid and Rome. That match is going to wear out whichever one wins, I’d speculate. Andy can get another win over Kei or Gasquet in straight sets.
Assuming Stan and Milos win their respective upcoming matches versus Troicki and Ramos in straight sets, I anticipate a real struggle between them (Stan vs Milos) in the QF! Milos won at AO but crippled himself; maybe Stan wins this time, but not sure about the shape of the winner.
Andy over a maxed-out Stan or Milos SF.
On paper, Nole’s path looks easier but Nole has all kinds of pressure. Nole’s not a shoe-in vs Andy in the final at all, imo. I’m still quite skeptical about Nole’s chances. Playing Rafa in the SF would have made it worse but Rafa having to abandon FO doesn’t reassure me all that much about Nole winning FO.
Have to admit that I’m excited about the prospect of either Andy or Nole winning FO, tho. Have not seen enough of the Stanimal in Stan yet to believe he’ll make the final. Raonic the finalist?
It felt to me like Rafa would make the final a bit tired, but horses for courses, as they say, and this is Rafa’s turf.
Only my opinion.
I say if Stan gets through Raonic convincingly he blitzes past Murray as well but if he gets through in tough fashion he can still beat Murray in SF because he will be confident and plays better as tourney goes on but it will be tougher. What I’m hoping is Stan gets on a roll by crushing Troicki then getting past Raonic fairly easily then surprising Murray and powering his way through like he has for their past three or four matches they’ve played against each other. Then he would be well warmed up for final. I’m kinda nervous about that Raonic match though. I think Stan will have the edge on this surface though. Allez Stanimal!!
Mourning day for Rafans and tennis fans
End of FEDAL era probably. Unlikely to see anymore slam champion between the two with ages coming along.
Rafa hasn’t injured his wrist. He is just suffering from anxiety disorder. He should fire Tio Toni and hire a psychiatrist-
The gospel according to Djoko fan, Echo and the Witty Troll.
Whatever you say about me, I would never change my beautiful moniker if it had been RafaIsTheBest because he is the best.
You shouldn’t be ashamed but wear it proudly instead.
Hawkeye,
Just when you think things cannot get any worse with Rafa injured!
Unbelievable!
I was a little worried when I was watching the Bagnis match. Something was off. I have been worried since Miami but Rafa had brushed it off saying he is fine. I thought maybe Rafa fans worry unnecessarily about his injuries. One little bandage and we imagine the worst. It seems his body can no longer withstand his normal game. Hope Rafa skips Wimbledon and skips Rio too unless his wrist is fully healed. Bad idea to play with injections. What was he thinking?
My thoughts, exactly! What was he thinking?! Injuries do not just dissapear! It only gets worse by playing!
The other day, when augusta posted the link of Rafa practice under watchful eye of his doctor I got suspicious! Why would he be at the practice court with Rafa? But Rafa looked good on court and I dismissed any doubts…I always observe Rafa’s on and off court behavior carefully and somehow ignored this one..,should have known better than that…
I am so angry now…and so sad…
natashao
“I always observe Rafa’s on and off court behavior carefully…” That describes me too. I carefully watch his expressions, read all his various statements and look for signs of impending doom or prognostications of great triumph. I received mixed signals this time. He had earlier talked about his injections but after his Rome defeat he expressed himself satisfied and hoped he and Djoko would play for many years. This seemed to indicate to my mind that he was confident of beating Djoko again just as he was after the great AO defeat in 2012. I allowed my self to hope and in fact to believe that La Decima was on its way. The first round was heady. But second round not so much because there were signs of frailty….and I worried how his body would withstand successive tough rounds…..Rafa fans suffer vicariously but unlike Rafa I do not enjoy suffering so it has been hell for me. Will he ever be healed enough to play without triggering injuries? Are we ever going to see La Decima and the look of pure joy and triumph on Rafa’s face?
Perhaps Rafa is 1)hopeful that his wrist will be ok so he’s confident of beating Djoko at the FO; 2) he doesnt want his rivals to learn of his wrist issue.
Djoko also had his scare of wrist issue during 2014, after playing MC where he lost to Fed in the SF, he then skipped Madrid. He was struggling at Rome but still beat Rafa in the final that year as Rafa was also struggling – with back issue.
Four years ago it was confirmed Rafa would be the Spanish flag bearer at the London Olympics. Then came the early exit from Wimbledon followed by his withdrawal from the OG. That was the last time we saw him play for seven long dark months.
#deja vu?
‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’
Winston Churchill
I always admired Rafa’s indomitable courage. Nobody else could have kept coming back and playing through intense pain. It saddened me when Rafa’s physical struggles and courage to persevere were described by certain fans as “anxiety disorder”. I never had any doubt that Rafa’s problems arose from his efforts to adjust his game to avoid triggering old and new injuries. No matter what happens, all real Rafa fans will, I hope, resist efforts by vested interests to destroy the legendary Rafa’s image of amazing courage and wisdom.
I am too heartbroken now….
ed,
Great quote!
I think Rafa will skip the short grass season and concentrates on the Olympics and the HCs.
I do think its not as serious as we suspect, just him taking precaution so that he doesnt need any surgery. I doubt Rafa would risk any damage to his wrist when he decided to play at Madrid, Rome and RG.
My initial reaction was rather pessimistic, thinking its the end of his career but now I do feel Rafa will try all ways to extend his career.
His knees, left foot, back and right wrist seem alright so far, I think if this latest issue isnt a serious one, he should be fine after some treatment and necessary rest.
Maybe Rafa could learn to hit flat shots esp on the quicker surfaces though I’m not sure that will help his wrist.
Flat shots won’t help. Look what happened to Del Potro.
Delpo pushed his FH too hard. I also think that Delpo may have weak wrists to start with, when now even his BH is affected. Those who hit hard, flat shots dont seem to have problems with their wrists – Berdych, Sod for eg.
Rafa imparts very heavy topspins into his shots, unlike others. After so many years of doing so, his wrist may suffer now, that’s why I think he hitting it flatter may help(just my opinion, may not be true).
Not really. Delpo’s technique looks okay to me, except that he doesn’t have aa very loose wrist (from what I can see) on either stroke. IMO his troubles seem to have surfaced from his overall physique and the struggle to get down low and dig deep into the court. The guy also had excellent technique on volleys. That’s why he was touted as a potential #1. Sucks to not have him around.
So its more his own inherent wrist problem, that wont allow him to sustain hitting so hard ( though seemingly with easy power) all the time.
hawkeye,unfortunately I cannot become rafaisthebest as I am not she. I am proud however that I am mistaken for my favorite poster.
Disagree.
When Rafa played Murray in Madrid it was obvious he didn’t play his best tennis now we know that he already had the wrist injury then.
Vamos Rafa!
I am still in a state of shock. I had some exams and after the exams I just opened tenngrand. I was SHOCKED and so sad 🙁 I can’t believe this has happened. Rafa wa s playing well enough to win this event!!
Why but why?! Withdrawing from his favourite event like this! He will be fine physically but the mental toll this will take on him, who knows how bad that would be!
I think he won’t play Wimbledon but will try hard to be ready for Rio. Missing Rio will be a very very big blow as we all know how much he was hurt when he missed being the flag bearer in 2012.
Dear God, please help Rafa .
good to hear from you vr. nny and i were just mentioning you via email and wondering if you were ok.
we are both devastated. it’s just such a shock if nothing else.
very hard not to feel it is going to affect him adversely at the emotional and mental level given his fear of injuires.
thanks for your words Amy… I am still in shock… I really had Rafa winning RG and I was so looking forward to the Rafole semi.
Pray that he is able to be the flag bearer at Rio.
yes i secretly thought he would win vr.
so good to talk to you. you know that nny and myself value your opinion pretty much above everyone else’s.
like you i pray rafa will be ok. he has a huge heart remember. that will see him through in the end.
thanks Amy and I agree, his perspective on life is too positive to let this setback derail him totally. He will be back and I pray he will again reach the level he needs to win a slam. For now, I am hoping he can be the flag bearer in Rio…that will cheer him up !
I hope someone can drop Djokovic. Stan looks like the best bet again. The guy is getting better and better just at the right time.
vr,
It’s a relief to hear from you. As Amy said, we were talking about you via email and hoping you were okay.
I was in very bad shape yesterday. I went to the hairdresser and was so upset that people there thought it was about my health. Not being tennis fans, it was hard for them to understand why I would take it so hard.
How do you explain following a tennis player for almost ten years and being so emotionally invested!
That’s why it is so important to be here with other Rafa fans for support.
I am worried about how this will affect Rafa emotionally. For him to withdraw from RG has to hurt a lot.
I just worry as to how much more he can take.
poor you NNY. hang in there… tough , tough times for Rafans and even tougher for Rafa. I wonder how much more can he take…
Geez. I want the Stanimal to win too but not just to be a hater like you. It would be a good story if Nole wins it too.
what the heck? I am not a hater… perhaps you have not been here long enough to see that!
Djokovic has 11 slams now and he is a serious contender for GOAT now and winning the french would make give him his 12th and give him so much more confidence. I don’t want him to eclipse Nadal ! Totally different from being a hater. I won’t ‘hate’ to see him win because he deserves at least one title in Paris. He is a great champion and I respect what he has earned in this sport.
plus, I am a fan of stanimal’s game. When he firing rockets off both wings, it is a treat to watch! Haven’t seen such big hitting from both wings. Soderling comes closest but stan moves better, defends better and has more variety and his mentally tougher.
Clay is actually the best surface for Stan to beat Nole…no doubts in my mind. If Stan can reach the final by beating Murray, he’ll have a real good shot.
Yeah Stan is the guy I’m rooting for to win the tournament now too.
So what if he eclipses Nadal in total slams? Overall he is better than Rafa. He’ll never catch him at the French Open though.
How is he better than Rafa?! He is not. I am not sure of the future though. And what if he eclipses Rafa? Nothing much except that it won’t be something I’d prefer. Of course I would want to see the player I have supported all my life at the very top!!!… If Djokovic eclipses him, I can only congratulate him because he is very special. However, there is nobody like Rafael Nadal and mere stats don’t quite capture his legacy.
Very disappointed that Rafa is not there to stand in his way this tournament.
vr,
Bravo! Well done standing up for Rafa! No matter what happens, Rafa has earned his place in the history of this sport. He has records that may never be equaled.
No one can take away his extraordinary accomplishments.
I wanted Rafa to win one more RG. I hope that it will happen.
It would be foolish to try and play at Wimbledon. Not like he gets past the first week these days anyway. I too would like to see him carrying the Spanish flag in Rio. He deserves it.