Wimbledon QF previews and predictions: Nadal vs. Fritz, Kyrgios vs. Garin

When Wimbledon quarterfinal action wraps up on Wednesday there will be one all-seeded showdown and one all-unseeded matchup. Rafael Nadal is going up against a red-hot opponent in Taylor Fritz, while Nick Kyrgios faces Cristian Garin.

(11) Taylor Fritz vs. (2) Rafael Nadal


It will be a rematch of the Indian Wells final when Nadal and Fritz square off in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon. Fritz took down Nadal 6-3, 7-6(5) for his first-ever Masters 1000 title, tying up the head-to-head series 1-1 following a 6-3, 6-2 loss in the 2020 Acapulco championship match. Now they collide in a slam, where Nadal is undefeated this season. The 36-year-old Spaniard triumphed in both Melbourne and Paris, and so far at the All-England Club he has defeated Francisco Cerundolo, Ricardas Berankis, Lorenzo Sonego, and Botic van de Zandschulp. Nadal dropped a set to both Cerundolo and Berankis before raising his level in rounds three and four.

Fritz has been dominant all fortnight. The world No. 14 and recent Eastbourne champion has not lost a single set; everyone else in the field has lost at least two. He booked his place in the last eight by coasting past Lorenzo Musetti, Alastair Gray, Alex Molcan, and Jason Kubler. Sure the competition level has been underwhelming, but 12-0 in total sets is impressive no matter the circumstances. Fritz is one of the few members of the younger generation who actually have belief when they face Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The Indian Wells result can’t really be taken into account since both guys–especially Nadal–were less than 100 percent, but nonetheless it can’t hurt Fritz’s confidence level. This is another winnable match for the American.

Pick: Fritz in 5

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WWW: Nadal vs. Fritz?


Cristian Garin vs. Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios vs. Garin is a rare all-unseeded affair in the quarterfinals of a major. Of course, based on talent alone–especially on the grass courts of Wimbledon–Kyrgios was always a title contender regardless of what his No. 40 ranking suggests. The 27-year-old reached the quarterfinals back in 2014 and now he is through to the semis following victories over Paul Jubb, Filip Krajinovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Brandon Nakashima.

Garin was supposed to face 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini in round one, but the Italian was forced out by a positive Covid-19 test and it’s safe to say that the 43rd-ranked Chilean has made the most of his opportunity. He has advanced by taking out Elias Ymer, Hugo Grenier, Jenson Brooksby, and Alex de Minaur. Garin is coming off a five-set battle with de Minaur, but his first three matches were routine so he should have plenty left in the tank for the biggest match of his career. Kyrgios made only one of his first four matches straightforward, so another roller-coaster ride can be expected against an in-form opponent–but the Aussie’s serve will likely bail him out in the pressure-packed moments.

Pick: Kyrgios in 5

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WWW: Kyrgios vs. Garin?

279 Comments on Wimbledon QF previews and predictions: Nadal vs. Fritz, Kyrgios vs. Garin

  1. I bet for the semi-final Ricky is going to pick kyrgios over Nadal in 4. Then for the final he is going to pick Djokovic over Nadal in 4. I wonder how many times ricky has picked Nadal to win quater fimal or better in a non-clay match. I bet the % is lower than 10%

    • is it not all matter of opinion? why is it that you people always cry every time you someone pick against Nadal. Personally i think rafa would win but jeez the way you people go on on this blog can be soo jarring.

  2. Kyrios match may go five sets or it may be three sets with Kyrios losing IF his shoulder is giving him problems.

    Otherwise, can’t see Garin winning it.

  3. Selective memory, hey Ricky or did you not know that Fritz lost on grass to Rijthoven in Holland and in straight sets to Draper at Queens just before Wimbledon?

  4. Y all of a sudden out of no where in the clear blue sky Fritz is Rafa’s kryptonite?!! And in five sets? If Fritz is to beat Rafa it has to be in less than five to begin with!!

    But anyway, this is y they play. Let’s just wait and see. Rafa tends to always show up when ppl discount him like this! Vamos, Champ!!!

  5. Super nervous abt this one. It is going to be tough and hard fought given that it’s qf the crossover round and fritz has a great serve n fh n can take rafa out of position

      • Nadline, yes! So far Sanju has been frazzled and was a bunch of nerves before every single match of Rafa. Every player morphs into the most dangerous opponent ever and grows at least 10 inches while Rafa shrinks until he is as short as Goffin.
        Sure, Fritz might well turn out to be very dangerous. But we should remember that Rafa has a pretty good record against tall players who serve huge. I am mostly worried about Rafa’s body.
        Anyway – “the future’s not ours to see. Whatever will be, will be” 😀😃🙂

        • Now I have that song stuck in my head, littlefoot.

          I am sorry I can’t remember what I wrote to you the other night/day; it was a good post, and I worked hard to correct my grammar. At the time, there was a barrage of posts, and mine disappeared.

          Imagine if Wee Wizard was 6’3″ 😇

          Vamos, Rafa!

      • This year I’m crazier than before. God knows why ..maybe as I know it’s amongst rafas last year’s and the chances will dry up soon

  6. Garin vs NK is hard to predict. As far as innate talent is concerned, NK should win in three and most experts picked him over Garin. But with NK it’s never just about talent, and he is not known for his stamina. Shoulder trouble could also derail NK. I expect him to win, but I would be only mildly surprised if he implodes and loses.
    As far as Rafa vs Fritz is concerned, Ricky might be one of very few experts who picked Fritz for the win. It’s not impossible of course, since these days Rafa has not only to play against his opponents but also against his ailing body. And his uncooperative body was probably the main reason why Rafa lost against Fritz in IW. Interestingly Ricky had picked Rafa for the win back then 😉 But if his body hasn’t deteriorated even further within the last 48 hours – which is unfortunately a very unpleasant possibility – he should be the favorite in the upcoming quarterfinal. But if Fritz should win, I don’t think it will take 5 sets. If the match will last that long, Rafa’s vast experience and sheer determination should carry him over the finish line. In thìs season he has won all three five-set matches against formidable opponents: Shapo, Medvedev and FAA. Why would he lose against Fritz who has so far only played against low-ranked players? That said, Fritz is so far the biggest threat for Rafa’s Wimby campaign.

    • I checked out a few expert picks, and Ricky is not the only one who picked Fritz for the win. The majority predicted that Rafa will win, but they acknowledged that Fritz might cause trouble. Most of them think that Rafa’s body might not fully co-operate.
      Btw, I hate betting sites and their cryptic lingo! Why can’t they just say: player X will win in 3,4 or 5 sets??? 😉

  7. I have zero interest in predictions. I realise it’s fun for some people but pointless as far as I am concerned.

    I can’t remember the last time ESPN picked Rafa to win anything including RG.

  8. Ricky:
    “(11) Taylor Fritz vs. (2) Rafael Nadal

    It will be a rematch of the Indian Wells final when Nadal and Fritz square off in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon.”

    This is so laughable. Ricky never gives Rafa credit on other surfaces based on what he’s done on clay, but here he is, using a hardcourt tournament to make a case for grass. How is this a rematch of a BO3 on hardcourt? Forgetting about the circumstances surrounding the IW final.

    • Nadline, normally I never look at betting sites. I was just interested to see if there were others besides Ricky who picked Fritz ftw. And every single one pointed at Fritz’s win in IW without acknowledging that Rafa was compromised by a broken rib!!!

  9. Rafa wins this and the semis I think. Hopefully the ab is okay, but it would have showed up in his game if it was not. In the finals, it’s hard to pick Nadal over Djokovic. Rafa’s level is not at 2018 level and Djokovic is playing better than 2018. And even then that result in 2018 was in Novak’s favor.

    • If I’m honest, Rafa has played his best match against Sonego so far. He was far from freat against Botic. I think he’s got room for improvement if he is to get to go all the way and lift the trophy.

      Vamos!

    • Djoko playing better than 2018? Er..no, Djoko has already lost a few sets here, and against some low ranked players (except Sinner). In fact Djoko isn’t playing well in 2022 on any surface, comparing to his past levels.

      I don’t think Rafa is playing poorly this year at Wimbledon (have to take into consideration the fact that he’s back from injury treatment hence there’s not much time for practicing on grass). His game is more complete now than in 2018, having a better serve, a better BH slice, more willing to move to the net etc.

      I hope Rafa beats his opponents asap in his matches ( to conserve energy), to reach the final.

      • Luckystar, you’ve lifted my spirits as you the technical expert here. I’m just watching the replay of Rafa vs Botic and Rafa was making too many errors he wouldn’t normally make so I hope he irons them out from his next match onwards.

  10. “12-0 in total sets is impressive no matter the circumstances”. Really now?

    Fritz looks like the kind of guy which gets ahead of himself, he’s likely to be overconfident going into this match. Their last match result is much more likely to help Nadal than the American. No matter how much you try to fool yourself, deep down you know that your opponent was so hurt that he shouldn’t even have played.

    Rafa hasn’t produced his best tennis since injuring his rib; that’s totally understandable considering what he’s been through. He can be back to his best anytime now, but it may not happen in time for this tournament.

    It’s totally possible that Nadal loses to Fritz today, but I much doubt that the American will have the mental strength to win a 5th set (assuming that no injury is involved).

    Hopefully Rafa wins this one in 4.

    • Not produced his best tennis since the rib? Set 1,3 of rg qf , set 2,3,5 of 4tg round vs FAA were all very good rafa.

      I see you are not confident Cristian this wimby

      • He’s played at a very high level during RG. It’s been a bit patchy but the level is there. His willingness to play aggressive tennis has always been the highest on grass. The mindset is just different. You’ll see him getting more and more aggressive now. The bigger second serve is a big asset too. One feels so much more secure now when he is delivering those. Even Novak was finding it hard to take them on.

      • Being able to play a few very good sets here and there doe not mean that he produced his best tennis overall – that means very good sets on average with several exceptional sets and a few average ones here and there.

        The only reason why I’m not very confident in Rafa’s results is precisely the fact that I feel that he hasn’t hit top form just yet.

        However, Nadal also proved this year that, when healthy enough, he is almost impossible to beat even when not being at his best. He probably wouldn’t get past Novax if not playing really well, but others may not be able to beat him anyway.

        That being said, the grass is trickier. If you meet a serve bot, a bad service game can cost you a set and a few of them can cost you the match. Fritz serves well enough to be dangerous here.

    • Cristian P, I agree with your assessments. I actually think that Rafa has not reached his very best level during the whole season, although he produced patches of brilliance when it mattered. But at the AO he managed to hang on until his game was good enough for facing the top seeded player in the final – and in the final he managed to stay alive by sheer will power, and he produced moments of great tennis when it mattered.
      Things looked great for a while after the AO – and then Rafa got hurt again in IW, and the clay season was in jeopardy. And then the foot became much worse again. Rafa has spent the whole season coming back from multiple injuries. He even contemplated to retire a few weeks ago. He simply did not have time to reach his best level, and it is a miracle and testament to his willpower, greatness and vast experience that he managed to win two slams! Personally I think that it is unrealistic to expect from him to produce another miracle and win another slam title on a surface which has been so difficult for him. There might not be enough time for reaching a level which is good enough for beating Fritz, Kyrgios and then the biggest obstacle, the Djoker – whom he has not beaten on non-clay surfaces since 2013. Rafa wasn’t in real danger in the last four matches, but the level will be higher from now on.

  11. I’m incredibly nervous n reading not very confident takes here is making me more nervous . I see on Twitter many hard rafans are nervous too

  12. Not looking good for Rafa! He started so well yet his serve let him down, and out of no where, he lost his serve twice to give away the set!

    Fritz didn’t even need to do anything extra, just served well and waited for Rafa’s errors!

    • Yep, and he seems very annoyed. Still think he’ll get through this but yeah, a big challenge out there today. So far, more so against himself.

      • Rafa,started great. Then he seemed to sabotage himself. Fritz didn’t do much.
        His serve deserted him at crucial moments.

      • Ppl calm down! Rafa will try his best! This is for a spot in the semis, it won’t be easy so Rafa will fight as much as he can! There r five sets to play! Let’s hope that the first is the only one Fritz wins!

  13. It really is no fun watching Rafa serve right now. He is struggling with rhythm.
    There is also no need to df against Fritz who doesn’t do much with the return.

  14. Exactly, it’s not like Fritz is such a good returner of serves! Rafa is so messed up now, don’t understand why he’s so nervous out there!

  15. What is this crap by Rafa! 2 dfs to put himself under pressure. Easy shots missed.
    He is empowering his opponent.
    Seems to have really lost confidence!

  16. Rafa hasn’t been to the final at wimby since 2011. I think that plays on his mind and he loses confidence.
    He started off brilliant. All he has to do is play like that again. Fritz hasn’t done much he has just served better.

  17. Rafa better hold serve here, if he’s losing this set then he will lose the match! I don’t see him suddenly plays well to win three sets in a row after that!

    • That’s what I feel.
      He is labouring so much with his serve its hard not to wonder if There is a physical issue.
      He looks very strained…

  18. I think he has problem with his abdominal muscle (the area where he has his tape on). He bent down a few times as if in pain.

    Sigh, he’s full of physical problems!

  19. In such physical condition, he’s not going to win this match; what more Kyrios is leading Garin in the other match! Kyrios may well be the SF opponent even if Rafa wins this match.

    Never mind Rafa, forget about this Wimbledon, let’s get well and prepare for the US HCs.

  20. I just turned it on to see Rafa lost the first set. That abdominal thing he wouldn’t talk about is bothering him.

    It is so weird to play the same player two times and have an injury. That’s why he didn’t want to talk about it.

    Kyrgios is ahead against Garin. That’s all he needs.

  21. I never wanted him to play Kyrgios. These lousy draws. But when Rafa did not want to talk about the tape on the abdomen in his last presser, I was a bit nervous. Injuries are just doing him in. If it’s not the foot then it’s something else.

  22. Why Rafa always has abdominal muscle problems? This is not the first time, this problem happened back in USO2009 too!

    Why his physical trainer and physio couldn’t do anything to prevent this problem each time he comes back from an injury? It’s just so frustrating!

    • I was thinking about 2009 because we know he played with an abdominal tear.
      The commentators are saying he couldn’t play with a tear. But we know he has before.

  23. I just looked at Genny.
    She showed a shot of Sebastian and his box all gesturing to him to retire about 15minutes ago.
    I completely agree.

    • Looks like it!
      What do you think he should do nny?
      I think he should retire…He can’t play consecutive matches like this…

  24. amy,

    I am conflicted. On the one hand I don’t want him to suffer and make it worse. But it’s hard to ignore his box. I don’t know how he won the second set.

    He is something else. Maybe the treatment helped. But I cannot see him play the next match in this condition.

    • Yeah don’t know what to wish for. Maybe part of him knows this could be his last Wimbledon given all the issues and having missed so many he wants to give it a shot but he will be up there with Djo and Medvedev in the USO so should he be risking it?

      Serve speed is wayy down so how long can he continue

    • Even if he somehow managed to win today. He won’t be able to beat NK in this physical condition. There is no way I want him to go on court against NK in this shape.
      Now he just lost serve. It’s obviously a huge struggle for him to serve.
      I do think his dad and sister are right. He should shake hands and go home and heal.

  25. Fritz has thigh issue, so Kyrgios, who most likely will win his QF, may have a good chance to get to the final ( and most likely lose to Djoko there!). I seriously don’t think anyone could challenge Djoko in the Wimbledon final now.

  26. Fritz watching Nadal, expects his retirement.. Rafa is in pain and shouldn’t go through this…his body is tired of all the injuries and treatments, he needs to rest…

    Vamos Champ! We love you!

  27. You can tell Fritz is #58 on the ATP leaderboard on return.
    Rafa has no pace on serve yet he has done very little with his return.
    Novak would have stood there hitting endless return winners and this would have been long over.

  28. Rafa is injured?!! For crying out loud!!!!’ R u bloody well kidding me?!! What’s up with all those injuries?!!!

  29. Yes it’s frustrating, why does Rafa always have this abdominal issues when he’s coming back from injuries? Why other players don’t seem to have this problem when they do the same?

    • I dont know. An injury coming back from injury – not just one injury(ribs) but a congential foot which required modern surgery-
      Ive had enough, I cant take this seriously – he needs to declare to be fit to play , or not- no more of this crap.

      Oh, and LS, what about his knees , they always give him trouble on grass ? Not this time though ?

      Not fair on other players .

      • I think you should open your eyes and see the match or the replay before opening your mouth and talking rubbish. Who said a sportsman cannot have multiple injuries?

        I understand the reservations about the foot as I myself thought it got too much during the French tourney non stop talking about it or rather being asked about it. But here it’s clear to the eye what happened . Why would a 22 slam holder fake an injury mid match in the qf

        • Sanju,

          I thought about responding but when I saw who posted the comment I realized that it is the same old garbage we have read over and over from this person. Thus is the person who posted that dreadful article saying that Rafa got performance enhancement from numbing his foot.

          It’s just more trash. Now when Novak pretends he has injuries then it’s perfectly fine. Rafa did not even want to talk about the stomach issue in his presser the other day. Unfortunately, injuries can crop up either before or during a tournament. It happens to many players.

          Rafa said at RG that he would not talk about the foot during the tournament as he kept getting asked about it. After he won then he revealed the numbing of the foot and also told everyone about the ablation procedure he was going to try,

          Why? Because he has an incurable foot condition. He wants to still play tennis. Who the hell dares to criticize him for that? He considered retirement but this procedure enabled him to continue playing. What is wrong with that?

          I read that Taylor Fritz was asked on his presser about Rafa taking the MTO and possibly faking it. He said – why would anyone decide to serve 15 miles less than they normally would. It was obvious what was going on.

          This person continues to trash Rafa. Hate is a terrible thing. He is trying to inflame and instigate. It’s all pure garbage.

      • Al, when you want to question about Rafa and his injuries, please go and find out more before coming here to question us! It just shows us how ignorant you are concerning Rafa.

        Rafa’s knees? Dont you know he had done stem cell treatments on his knees when the previous PRP treatments weren’t good enough?

        So you think Rafa pretended to have knee issues when he lost early at Wimbledon, suddenly, from 2012-2015, when he was reaching five finals and winning two of them, from 2006-2008 & 2010-2011? And he lost the finals to either Fed or Djoko!

        So, don’t come here and make a fool of yourself while trying to irritate the Rafa fans.

        • His injured may well be genuine,but what spoils the game is all this talk about it.He’s been on the brink of pulling out of so many matches,or retiring altogether,yet somehow wins two Slams.Its mind games .
          No I didn’t know about his knees (not that interested)but remember you saying that’s why he struggled on grass .
          I like to be entertained by tennis,not a medical documentary.
          At least someone agreed the foot thing was too much.
          It’s terrible anyone would have serious health issues,but an injury coming back from an injury?
          It’s serious mind games for the other players to deal with.Playing an injured player is not easy.

          • This is such utter bullshit! Last year Novak was whining and getting on court treatment for shoulder, elbow, whatever. Yet he won three slams! How hypocritical for someone to ignore that! It was nauseating! The gall of trying to tear down Rafa with bogus and nonsensical claims about his injuries.

            You know what I am sick of? Someone who has so much hatred fur a player that he obsessively comes up with attack after attack. The utter gall of a person going after Rafa fans when they criticize another player, yet who continues to dredge up false trash about Rafa! Go look in the mirror before continuing with this wretched diatribe about Rafa!

          • The point is still there that it’s difficult to play an injured player .Esp when they expected to pull out at any moment.And they don’t.My gut feeling is that Gill Gross was right Rafa will win Wimby injured or not.

          • Maybe not. However my point is still the same that its unfair to opponents when theres so much focus on a players injuries and whether they can continue,all the while they have to focus on their own game while the opponent may be playing unuusal tactics .Ive seen it too often and im talking about ALL pLayers here.

      • AL, normally I respect your comments – but this is very unintelligent rubbish! Have you even seen the match? It was obvious that Rafa was hampered. Why do you think that his own father wanted him to stop playing? And how is it not fair when a player has to deal with multiple injuries??? They have not asked for this, and a 36 years old guy is far more injury prone than a youngster. Was Delpo unfair because he had to deal constantly with multiple injuries which eventually ended his carreer? Nobody criticized him for talking about it, and he was often visibly hampered during his matches. Also, you cannot declare someone as healthy just because he decides not to retire from a match. Taylor Fritz who – unlike you – was actually involved, was absolutely right when he said in his presser that no player would suddenly start to use a very inferior and much slower serve just in order to distract his opponent by faking an injury. That would be incredibly stupid and contra-productive – especially on grass where a strong serve is so important!!
        Gil Gross said that during a match these abdominal problems are normally treated with pain killers. Therefore it’s not surprising at all that Rafa started to play better again when the meds kicked in. That’s the purpose of medical time-outs! Novak did exactly the same at the AO’21 when an abdominal injury flared up – during a match against Fritz btw, but Novak proceded to win the AO.
        As far as Rafa vs. Fritz is concerned, Fritz has only himself to blame that he didn’t manage to win against a visibly compromised player who is 12 year older than him. While it’s true that Rafa managed his reduced weapon arsenal in a very clever way, it’s also true that Fritz didn’t serve well enough, and he also didn’t move very well. But that’s not Rafa’s fault. He didn’t behave at all like Kyrgios. He didn’t play any psycho games with Fritz. And if Fritz was so distracted by the medical time-out of his opponent that he was thrown off his game, he should employ a psychiatrist ASAP!

        • The reason Fritz can’t win matches against the top players is because his ROS is nowhere near good enough at the elite level.
          Go and have a look at the ATP leaderboards. On return he is # 58. 58!!
          That’s a central reason why he loses matches.
          He has only himself to blame if he can’t hit winners off 100mph on first serve and even lower on second. Plus Rafa barely hit a backhand crosscourt for most of the match. He just sliced the ball. If you can’t win with your opponent having half his game missing you aren’t good enough.
          He has technical problems which massively reduce his effectiveness at the top level.

        • littlefoot,

          Thanks for pointing out that they would give Rafa anti-inflammatories. Rafa said in his presser that they gave him something for the pain. Of course after a while it would kick in and he would play better. Taylor Fritz was decent enough to debunk the stupid question in his presser about Rafa faking it in the MTO. Why would a player trying to win a match serve at barely 100 mph? They were tracking serve speeds through out the match. By the fifth set they said he was serving faster but still not at his usual speed.

          I guess his father was faking it, too! And his sister and his manager. This insanity needs to just stop! Novak did the same thing last year while he was winning three slams.

          Unintelligible rubbish indeed!

          • Yup! Unfortunately even active players like Fognini spread this nonsense.
            It’s unfortunate that these days the social media facilitate spreading this garbage.
            It’s of course true that players always have used medical time-outs for breaking the rythm of their opponents or for regrouping. That’s called winning ugly. Brad Gilbert has even written a book with that title when he was coaching Agassi. Winning ugly exists since humans started to compete against each other for sport and entertainment, and in many eras this was deemed totally acceptable. But no player would ever entertain the absurd idea of deliberately lowering his level of play in order to fake an injury.

        • Don’t care about that Kyrgios, he should know Rafa is not in tip top conditions, so if he think the world of himself should he get and beat Rafa in the SF, so be it.

          He probably thinks that he could beat Rafa and then Djoko back to back to win a slam here!

  30. I don’t know what Fritz is doing either, Rafa is there for the taking, and yet Fritz is making a mess out of it!

    Perhaps, it’s Fritz’s first QF in a slam, and he’s on the verge of reaching a first SF, so he tensed up.

  31. It’s a pity that Rafa had to lose the first set when he was leading; had he won that set, he would’ve won the match already! There won’t be a need for a fifth set!

    Let’s see whether Rafa could win the fifth set and the match. If he wins this, he will play in the SF and if his abdominal issue gets worse, he may then retire from that match?

  32. I can’t believe he won the fourth set to force a fifth. If Rafa was okay this would have been over already.

    Rafa wants to play. I am thinking that they gave him something for the pain. But I can’t see him being okay for the semifinal if he pulls this off.

  33. Rafa made some poor shot selections there, shouldn’t have hit a drop shot when Fritz was there.

    I think he’s about to lose the match.

  34. I really admire Rafa’s problem solving abilities and his never gives up mentality.

    I think I understand why Rafa is not quitting the match, it’s because he still wants to give himself a chance to win the title here.

    So Rafa wins the match finally! Vamos! Well done our courageous Rafa! I wish you all the best in the coming match or even matches!

  35. Just for ure sakes I’m glad Rafa has finally won this match!!!

    I couldn’t watch bcoz I have tight deadlines but how many times must you guys doubt Rafa?! And he’s playing his heart out with an apparent injury. Sigh! I want to hear what exactly is the issue in his pressor

  36. Now, when I come to think about it, Fritz must be pretty frustrated to lose this match to an injured Nadal..
    And how on earth did Ricky pick Fritz to win this in 5??🙄🙄

    Anyway, WAMOS RAFA! Hope he can getvwell to play semi!
    Vamos Champ! We are all so proud of you!

  37. Yes, the one and only Rafael Nadal!

    There’s just so much to admire about Rafa – the never give up mentality, the will to win, the belief that he can find solutions to solve problems, the will to keep improving to become better…

    So happy for Rafa that he has become an even better player at his age now, and is still competitive enough to find ways to overcome his physical problems to win his matches. Vamos!

  38. Rafas dad told him to stop yet he did not.

    He won this ok but I am really sad. I wanted this wimby n looks like either he won’t play semi or will lose the match…

    • Sanju,don’t be sad! Yes, it’s obvious that Rafa cannot win the title. But this was a very, very long shot anyway. Even a healthy Rafa would have had difficulties against the Djoker. So, let’s celebrate that Rafa reached the semis despite all his problems in advance of this tournament. What a fighter!

    • We don’t know. But it will be very difficult for him to try and beat NK without a functioning serve.
      He also didn’t hit his cross court backhand for 3 sets.

    • No, he won’t be ok in time. I know about these abdomen tears from my husband. This cannot be repaired within a couple of days.

  39. I just saw replay of footage of his father gesturing to him to get off the court. It wasn’t just his father, was also his sister and Carlos Costa. Probably others also U couldn’t see from the clip…

    • Rafa’s wife was there. But I didn’t see her when they showed his father and sister gesturing for him to retire. Maybe I just couldn’t see her.

      But Rafa wanted to play. I don’t think a five setter will help his abdomen.

  40. It depends how serious the injury is for Rafa to try to recover! If it is a tear he may not be able to pkay senis. Also, if it is not a tear by playing he risks tearing the muscle which then becomes a very serious injury!
    I trust Rafa’s team to make tge right decisions! If Rafa decides to play he will certainly go for the win!

    We shall see! I am so proud of Rafa and his necer give up attitude!

    Good luck Rafa! 🍀🍀🍀
    Vamos Champ!

    • Natascha, yes, that is the right spirit. If he got a tear it would be best if he withdraws. Rafa hates withdrawals. But even if there is a minor tear, he should do this in order not to aggravate the injury. I hope his team will make the right decision.
      I always believed that a healthy Rafa can beat Fritz. But I became sortiert when Rafa declined to talk about his abdomen tapes in his last presser.
      But what a great player!!!
      Good luck!!!

  41. Rafafans, please stay realistic! It’s a miracle that Rafa even won this match! So, let’s celebrate that!
    But if even he himself said that he does’nt know if he can play in the semis, it’s more than just a scratch on his abdomen. This does not go away within 48 hours. And in order to win the title he would need to play two of the currently best grass court players. That is a tall order even for a healthy Rafa!
    But what a fighter!!

  42. Rafa shouldn’t be playing the semis if its anything other than a minor issue.

    He has had the tape on the abdomen in his last 2 matches too at wimby. My guess is it’s a niggling issue that flared up today. I’d rather rafa not risk it and set his sights for USO.

  43. Nadal said he hopes to be ready for the semifinal. He never said he wont be ready. Lets hope that he will be ready to play. He has been playing with it all this wimbledon and if djoko can play and win AO with an ab injury or woteva it was, so can rafa. Lets be optimistic. It’s not over.

  44. Rafa himself is being realistic, he and his dr or whoever will make the right decision. If he decides to play, then he will play and I support his decision. Nobody knows the extent of his injury except him and his team and dr. Let them decide. I hope its not too serious and he plays.

  45. There has never been a player like Rafa Nadal. Everyday, i realising why I love him so much as a tennis player. He’ll be a hard act to follow when he eventually hangs up his racquet.

    Vamos!

  46. Nadal said in presser he will have tests on Thursday to check what the injury is. Said he had discomfort last 2 matches but today the pain increased

  47. If you could not waschen the match, you should read the “as it happened” thread of the Guardian! It is excellent, and it manages to capture the excitement and the aw-inspiring effort of both guys. It also cites a lengthy excerpt of Rafa’s oncourt interview. He told the audience to remember the 2008 final, and that he never expected in his dreams that he would still be able to play on this center court 14 years later! And this is what we should celebrate – even if he may not be able to continue…

  48. Rafa tries so hard our there on the court and until recently I have stopped berating him and most especially doubting him. The sad thing is if he had retired ppl would say is bcoz he was getting beaten. Now he soldiered on and won some will say y didn’t he retire and give Fritz a chance to play in the semis!!! Sigh!! He just can’t win!

    But regardless what occurs, Im be quite happy he made it this far. I mean I’m still sure he’ll play the semis bcoz otherwise he would have retired if it was THAT bad, and could not have won! I’m sure it will be fine! Vamos, Champ!! One match at a time!! ❤️

    • I agree. I am hopeful. If it was THAT terrible he would have retired. So I’m hopeful but i will support his decision.

    • Monalisa, did someone really criticize Rafa for not letting Fritz win??? I only saw tons of praise for Rafa because he managed to win despite being visibly hampered by an abdominal problem. Rafa said that he had this problem already in his two previous matches, and it became worse today. He cannot be critized for trying to win! And since they cannot do scans on a tennis court, Rafa cannot know for sure if he will be able to continue to play. Since this thing has apparently got worse over three days I am not very optimistic. But if Fritz wasn’t able to get past a clearly compromised Rafa, he doesn’t deserve to win!
      It’s so strange with these youngsters. They are so much younger, and they get these huge chances for making a breakthrough – and then they falter when the finish line is in sight. I often wonder if the prolonged staying power of the Big Three has covered up that there will be definitely a weak era when the three GOAT candidates will finally retire. Apparently these youngsters are so much conditioned to lose against the Big Three that they are mentally not ready to win, even when they have huge chances. This seems to be especially the case in the slams.
      Like you I am also very happy that Rafa even got this far. He has now been 8 times in the Wimby semis and 5 times in the final! Not too shabby for someone who supposedly has problems on grass!

  49. Can we just let Rafa and his doctor handle this? We do not know how bad it is at this point. So they will do a scan and find out. Then they can make the right decision. Nobody here should be playing doctor.

    I have confidence in Rafa’s doctor and team. This is out of our hands. Of course Rafa wants to play. But he is able to face reality.

    • NNY, I am sure that Team Rafa will make the right decision! He will only continue if they are sure that he doesn’t risk a far more serious injury. Rafa has immense will power, but he isn’t stupid.

  50. NNY, in one of ure earlier post you said Rafa won’t be fit enough for the semis bcoz of the injury, lol!!!

    However, I am really frustrated that every time I desire for Rafa to really bag a tourney he gets injured! This has happened countless times at AO and Wimby, STEUPS!! Rafa’s body breaking down so frequently is a sign that soon he’ll have to hang his gloves up. That my friend will be a sad sad sad day for me!

    • Mona,

      Can we please stop this? I don’t need every single thing I say quoted back to me. It’s enough. Rafa having this stomach injury is bad enough. Because he was starting to play some great tennis.

      Don’t throw things I post in my face. I was basing my comment on how he looked at that time. Not diagnosing his injury! He was able to start playing better. In fact, I thought he would have to retire at one point. He did not look good. Even his family wanted him to retire. It was that concerning. So it would not be a surprise for me to think he would not be able to play competitively in the semis. Others felt the same way. But the fact that he was able to complete the match and win, gave me some hope.

      This the last I am goimg to say about this, if anyone wants to throw in my face what I may have said at some point, I will not respond.

  51. Littlefoot, at the time I wrote this comment I was assuming that”s what ppl would say and I was right bcoz a few of the comments below the highlights on UTube alluded to it. I know how silly ppl can be!!!

    @ NNY, I didn’t mean to upset you. Thought ure comment was targeted at ppl who were giving their thoughts on Rafa”s injury and his ability to play. I didn’t understand y u didn’t seem happy about it, that’s all. But water under the bridge, we have another match to worry about.

    Me? Just happy Rafa is limping his way into the semis, rib by rib, foot by foot!! Poor thing! 🤣

    • Mona,

      It’s been a tough day. I should not have taken your comment so personally. I went through so many emotions. First I was sure Rafa would have to retire. I watched the replay on the tennis channel to see parts I was too nervous to watch. At one point Rafa went to get his towel and he leaned his head against the back board. He was in such pain. I think I was not watching at that point. It was looking pretty bad for Rafa. I may well have said that he would not be able to make it to the semifinal the way he looked. The commies seemed to think he would retire.

      It was a very draining experience, even watching the replay. I was feeling so good about his chances because his serve was great and he was playing so well. This was hard to watch but I am so proud of Rafa for fighting through it. He really amazes me.

      Rafa did not look happy in his presser. He won’t make any prediction about playing until they do the scan to see what is going on there. I am very angry that he would have to face Kyrgios. Of all people!

      I guess we will know more tomorrow. You have a good heart and I just think I responded too harshly to your comment. I apologize for that.
      ❤️

      • NNY, Oh, no worries!! I didn’t take it personally either. When you are a fan of Rafa u learn how to navigate troubles and take things in stride, always looking at the positive. Rafa has taught me that nothing in life is as bad as it seems! He has inspired my outlook on life, seriously! I am sooo grateful for this man!

        So again, no worries. we’re good!!❤️

  52. I watched that fifth set tie break on YouTube and I had to watch it multiple times!!! Rafa knows how to play TBs as well as Roger! I always marveled at the way Roger played TBs! He was brutal, lol!!! That TB with Fritz was awesome! I noticed a lot of tennis players don’t play TBs well. They would do extremely well to get to the TB and when they get there they are quite rubbish!!! See it happen all the time! Wonder what the big 3 TB record is, and which player has the best TB record currently on tour!

    • Yes, the tie-break was good stuff!
      My favorite tennis expert on Youtube – Gil Gross – has already uploaded a very interesting analysis of the match. I highly recommend it. He explains very well, how Rafa managed to stay in the match by very cleverly using those tools which were still working well, and Fritz didn’t have the experience to handle the situation.

      • Yes, Littlefoot, I listen to him all the time. As a matter of fact he’s face is staring right at me now from my laptop 🤣 He’s very good although there r many who feel he is biased against Rafa, but then again, many analysts are!!!! 😃 however I’m always eager to hear his take on the matches, he’s quite knowledgeable.

        • Monalisa, Gil Gross was one of the few experts who picked Rafa winning Wimby 😉 He changed opinions about Rafa during this crazy season. And he is one of the most knowledgeable experts. He has also a knack to explain very well what’s happened in a match.

          • Indeed! Gil is very clear and concise about things and he literally gives ball by ball commentary! I am not a subscriber (shame) but he is my go to guy on tennis analysis.

            Ricky no offense here, lol!! I really love our little tennis community here too, no matter who you’re a fan of!!

  53. NoVaxx over kyrgios in four because he will not try to ignore Kyrgios talking before the serve and let the umpire know it’s a hinderence

    That said, Vamos Rafa no matter what! He refuses to go down without a fight! Vamos!!!!

  54. For the SF, I’ll wait for the doctor’s assessment and Rafa’s announcement.

    To me Rafa at this Wimbledon is playing at a high level, despite some wobbles in his first two matches. In the QF, he came out all guns blazing and if not for his abdominal issues, could have won the first set when he was leading and then won the match in four sets within shorter time.

    At the level Rafa is playing, sans his abdominal issues, he will most likely beat Kyrgios in the SF to reach the final. And, I even think that he will beat Djoko in the final!

    Rafa just has so many levels that he could get to; even when he couldn’t serve well ( hampered by abdominal issues), he could still vary his game to beat his opponent.

    Kyrgios always ‘play dirty’ when he faces an opponent whom he thinks would be a threat to him (imo he knew how good Tsitsipas was playing in this Wimbledon, and that’s why he tried means and ways to irritate Tsitsipas to extract errors out of him!).

    If Rafa is playing in the SF, I hope Kyrgios for once be gentlemen enough not to do nasty things to disrupt Rafa’s focus and concentration. If Rafa loses in the SF, so be it.

    Let’s wait and see who is favoured by the tennis god here to win the title in the end. We will find out when the final ends on this coming Sunday.

    Vamos Rafa, no matter what!

  55. I am just so sad. I really wanted this wimby for rafa. I hate it when injury disrupts him all the time. I am okay if he loses whilst being healthy n is beaten by a better player

  56. I don’t care what some people said, that Rafa should retire from the match to allow Fritz to get to the SF, so that presumably they’ll get a more competitive SF between Fritz and Kyrgios.

    I mean, if Fritz is not good enough to beat a compromised Rafa, how is he going to be competitive against Kyrgios?

    Whether Rafa retired from the match or not, he would be criticised for whatever decision he made, so why be bothered by them?

    Rafa was just trying his best to win the match, and giving himself a chance to compete for the title. Who knew how bad was his abdominal issue during the match, he himself won’t know it unless he could have a thorough checkup but at that time he couldn’t have that done.

    It may turn out to be not too serious, and he may be able to play in the SF, who knows? We may then applaud the good decision Rafa made during the QF!

  57. One thing about Fritz, he’s not new to losing a five setter! He lost to Djoko at AO2021 in five sets, lost to Shapo in five sets at 2020 USO, lost to Alex Zverev in five sets at 2018 Wimbledon and lost in R1 at FO that year in five sets.

    He had played in many five setters, winning some against not that high ranking opponents and lost five setters to high ranking players. I think against top players, they just have an edge over him mentally to cross over the finish line.

    • Lucky, that is interesting. I didn’t look up Fritz’s five-setter record. But it confirms my suspicion that he might have problems to cross the finish line, and it’s very hard to win against Rafa or Novak in five sets. The opponents know that of course, and that makes it even moredifficult. But Fritz was playing against an opponent with reduced capabilities, and he still wasn’t able to win!
      As Gil Gross explained in his very interesting analysis on his YouTube channel, Rafa must have looked into his big arsenal and he cleverly choose the weapons which were still working well. That was very smart. Most players would have called it a day in that situation. Gil Gross also mentioned the fact that Rafa seemed to play better after the medical time-out. Gross said that with abdominal problems there are not many things which can be done oncourt. He suspects that Rafa got some painkillers which kicked in after a few minutes and that he may have used the short break for gathering his wits and for assessing how he should play in order to give himself a chance to win after all.

  58. Hoping it’s a minor and treatable issue with rafa.

    Abdomen Muscle tears exacerbate without rest. If it’s a clean tear Rafa will pull out i am pretty sure.

    In any case, rafa has to be proud of himself. 16 years of supporting this guy and he still surprises me and inspires me.

    Vamos.

  59. I was a bit bummed that Rafa didn’t celebrate at all after this great win, and he didn’t look happy at all in his presser. As he said after his previous match, he is sometimes tired of himself. Despite his great successes during this season he has been constantly struggling with his ailing body!

  60. Why will he play if he has a tear .does he not risk it further and compromise the uso..he anyway won’t win wimby with a tear esp against djokovic

    • He is risking the bigger damage, but those tapes may be useful in preventing it! A lot of players are playing with some issues and the tapes seem to help! Hope it works!

      Rafa is a fighter! Also, as stated in his interview, he is aware that he is playing at high level! For sure, his level of tennis bailed hin out in yesterday’s match! He won without serve, what does it tell you about his baseline game? Rafa is just a genius who adapts his game to both his opponents and his injuries!

      Gosh, I love Rafa! I wish him luck and success in his next matches! I know he will give his all!
      Vamos Champ no matter what! 🍀🍀🍀

  61. “Djokovic had a 1.7 cm (17 mm) tear at the Australian Open 2021 from the 3rd round. If he can play 5 rounds, I hope Rafa can play and win 2 more rounds at Wimbledon too”.

    Sb posted that and I agree. If Djoko can do that with much worse, I hope Rafa can. Whatever decision rafa and his doctor makes, I will support them. They know what they are doing. All this pulling for Rafa to withdraw, if that’s the case Rafa should have never played French open with his chronic foot issue that made it almost impossible to walk. Let Rafa make his decision. He and his dr know better than anyone.

    • Do we know if his doc is with him here like at RG ?

      Happy if this was last slam of year it was perfectly right to continue , here uso is 7 weeks away.. secondly ao was djokos fav slam n that’s not the case here…thirdly there was a big gap for djoko between ao n rg ,that’s not the case here

      • I don’t think Novak played for ages after that AO did he? But RG was a long way away. Plus, as sanju says, it’s his best slam. If this were RG I would feel differently.
        Rafa will go into the USO the fave if he is healthy. Novak can’t even play!
        If this is going to mean he jeopardizes his chances of winning g the USO then I wish he wouldn’t.
        They just showed footage of him on the BBC and the commentators were saying he wasn’t able to complete his service action and he looked unhappy. Is it really worth him playing if he is suffering? If he can’t even serve how can be win? He looked very strained on the footage.
        I want him to be healthy to go and get his #23 slam at the USO.

        • If there were a big gap in time between now and the next slam I would feel differently. But there is only 7 weeks until the USO and he will want to play in Canada which is only 4 weeks away.

          • Cases are rising so they may well not.
            Anyway Rafa’s record there is better than Novak’s. He can definitely beat him if he is healthy.

  62. I think Rafa and his team know how to manage it; if Rafa doesn’t feel well in the SF, he could and would then retire. I don’t think Rafa is so careless that he would take unnecessary risk, if he feels he couldn’t play well enough to win the match.

    He’ll probably dig deep using his wide range of tools and think of ways to get round his weakened serve. I do remember at least two matches where Rafa was injured during the matches. He would swing freely his shots and was going for winners, and he was able to win a set in each of those two matches by doing so despite his injuries – the Rotterdam final vs Murray in 2010; and the AO final in 2014 vs Stan.

    If Rafa could play that way and not holding back, ie playing an offensive brand of tennis from the start of the match, he may have his chances to win the SF. Rafa can play an attacking offensive game, if he chooses to do so; he has it in him to play that way, it’s just that it’s not his style to go for winners all the time; he enjoys the problem solving thinking game instead.

    • But can he win the finals ? At this stage of the career, its 0 or 1 for him. Either you win a major or you dont. I dont think he should play.

      He had a great year, and he still has a lot of good tennis left.

      • Yes I tend to agree. It’s also really horrible watching someone out there clearly in pain.
        I also really hate the thought of what it will be like with NK and his ugly antics and how he will boast about beating him.
        Rafa looked really unhappy on the practice footage they showed just now and was unable to complete his service action.

    • It’s not just the serve. He scarcely hit a cross court backhand. That shot is vital at the highest level. He can’t just slice the ball endlessly against NK and Novak.

  63. Agree its just abt maximizing the win at slams now..nothing else matters

    3 big injuries already this year .rib, severe foot n now ab…

      • Margot, yes she is great. Great person and fabulous game. Making history as well.
        I haven’t watched the News yet. I am guessing from what you say he is still hanging on…? He is making a real fool of himself..
        Would be wonderful to see Ons win her first slam at wimby.

  64. I think it’s wrong to compare Novak’s case at the AO ’21 with Rafa’s current situation. The AO are Novak’s favorite tournament, and, as others have said, the next slam is a few months away. This cannot be compared with Rafa’s current situation. It would be different if this was RG.
    I feel sad, though. Rafa has apparently believed that another Wimby title wasn’t totally impossible.

  65. It’s not given that Rafa is favorite to win USO this year, neither is Novak with Medvedev, Berettini, etc, in play.

    No matter what we think it will be Rafa’s decision to play or not. If he is in pain and can’t serve properly he will most likely decide not to play. If he decides to show on court that means he thinks he can win! That’s all!

    Vamos Champ!

        • I looked at some fan sites. A lot of Rafa fans don’t want him to play.
          Genny and Raphael Dabandie were both saying yesterday he should retire.

        • Of course Rafa vs Nick is far more attractive than Djokovic vs Norrie! Rafa is the current darling of the audience, and Nick carries the tittilating promise of unleashing chaos and spectable at any moment. Some people love this, the majority of tennis fans hates it, but everybody wants to see it! The tv ratings will go through the roof!

  66. Pam Shriver was watching Rafa practice this morning. She could not get super close, but she did point out that he was doing some practice serves. I saw him serving with my own eyes. So I don’t what media coverage started the rumor that he didn’t do any serving…. that’s bogus!
    I noticed how subdued he was in the match yesterday, not a lot of jubilation, rather passive and very unusual….,..

  67. Like they numbed the foot sensory nerve , can’t they numb the sensory nerve around abdomen ? Don’t know the medical authenticity whether this is doable.

    Novak said for ao21 he was under very very strong painkillers n his physio worked a lot on him.

    • Sanju, that are two entirely different things, since Rafa’s foot doesn’t become less functionary when he play. Therefore numbing helps him to play normally. However, the abdominal muscles are crucial for all kinds of movements. Even if you could numb them with local anesthesia (I don’tknow if it’s even possible to use local anesthesia), the already existing small tear could get worse and hamper the movement even more.

      • Agreed! He couldn’t have beaten NK without his serve.
        God speed Rafa! Go home and rest. He’s given his all and no one can ask more of him…

        • It was always a very long shot that Rafa would win another Wimby title or even the career slam. And we should look at the glass half full: Rafa is still unbeaten at the slams this year 😉 It was great that Rafa managed to win against all odds!

          • Yes I agree with the upbeat view. There’s simply no point being miserable about what might have been.
            He has a great chance at USO.
            Moya said recently he was the favourite there and I agree..

          • Amy, I fully agree! Against all odds Rafa did so well at all slams this year. But he had also a certain amount of luck. At the FO he himself made the final after Zverev had to retire. Rafa may have won that match anyway, but it could have turned into a gruelling battle. This time Kyrgios is the lucky one. That happens and has to be accepted. And these abdominal tears are normally uncomplicated and heal after a certain amount of rest. Andy Murray had one in the Stuttgart final against Berrettini. But he healed in time for Wimby.

          • Oh I didn’t know that about Andy littlefoot! That’s good to know. Rafa says he sees himself as on course to play Canada and the USO. His winning rate there is very good.
            I simply refuse to get downbeat by all this. He is still unbeaten in slams with his second best slam to come…

          • Amy, an abdominal problem prevented Andy from playing Queens, which he had planned after Stuttgart.
            We should not forget that so many other players have often been very unlucky, too! It’s not just Rafa. Just look at Andy or Delpo whose whole career was stunted by injuries! And Berrettini and Cilic, who were in fine form before they had to withdraw. Or the Russian guys who were not allowed to play in the first place. It’s highly ironical that a native Russian might win the women’s title.
            But I disgress. I just wanted to say that Rafa had such a great career. He is not at all unlucky.

    • Its obscene isnt it.
      Actually interesting how well the Aussies are doing this year on grass with their tradition. Brilliant win in the mens doubles .

  68. Rest rafa, you did your best. Vamos no matter what.

    Congrats to djoko for winning Wimbledon. Dont even think he will drop a set and the slam race gets closer and we all know djoko will be allowed to play the US OPEN bc the vaccine mandate will not stand forever.

  69. Amy..things going as per your prediction…maybe as u said he does win 3 slams this year n wins uso..u always said he won’t win wimby

    Was it telepathy? Feeling?

    N again confirms that rafa cannot win a slam without Moya by his side. Carlos is there at New York . Rafa said it takes 4 weeks to heal but he will start baseline practice in 10 days n serve after 4 weeks.

    • Sanju, actually I thought he could win wimby. But I did say I thought he was going to win 3 and USO was more likely than wimby.
      Moya said after RG he would be fave at USO. I agree.
      Let’s look ahead to good things..!

    • Sanju, you don’t need telepathy in order to predict that Rafa would not Wimby 😉 Given the short amount of time to get used to a surface on which he had not played for three years and the fact that a healthy Novak was going to defend his title, it was a long shot anyway. Rafa can play well on grass, but this year the preparation time was too short! But he acquitted himself well nevertheless!

  70. He will be seeded in top 4 at uso .but then Novak n Carlos in 5-8 ..Novak ofcourse if usa lifts vaccine mandates which they very well may

    • USA is unlikely to lift the vaccine mandate for entering the country, at least not by the US Open. You can’t imagine how minor a sport tennis is in the USA, so he mandate certainly won’t be on NoVax’ account.

      Sorry to hear that Rafa can’t play his semi but I expect it’s a sensible decision. That tear has been getting worse with every match. I see no way he could beat both Novax and NK. That’s a big ask even if he were in full health!

      • Ramara, I fully agree! Of course it’s not nice, and a healthy Rafa is always a threat everywhere, and in 2019 he has beaten Kyrgios at Wimby. He has also beaten him in IW this year. Kyrgios would not have been a favorite in that match up. However Rafa cannot beat these dangerous opponents without a good serve! He extricated himself against Fritz, but this would not work against Kyrgios and Novak. I am glad that he choose to withdraw instead of playing and getting beaten up. And it might have aggravated the tear.
        Abdominal tears don’t develop into a chronic problem as far as I know, and they heal with rest. Therefore they should not be a problem for the upcoming hardcourt season.

  71. Oh Gosh! What a BUMMER!!!!!!! So close and yet so far!!!! If it is one slam that I really want Rafa to win was Wimby!! Damn it!!!

  72. Disappointing but not entirely unexpected, at least now he can get some r and r. and get ready for the USO HC swing….

    Hi hope your all well as its been ages since I last posted….

  73. A lot of people don’t want him to win, or, at the very least, they want people to know what he’s really like if he does win, hence the very timely annoucement of his pending court case.

    Djokovic will feel like the good guy if they both make the final, which will work to his advantage.

    • Popcorn final and golden topping is the handshake.

      It’s funny that the crowd has been pro Kyrgios in his matches as will be the case in the final yet they booed his name when mentioned in rafas post match on court interview.

      I’m pulling for kyrgios because inner demons not to mention 22-20-20

  74. Nick can win this tourney but obviously he’ll muck the hell out of it!! He’s going into a final with a +ve H2H over his opponent. He’s playing well enough and he has the weapons but, does he have the heart or even the testicular fortitude?!

  75. I saw something last night on the replay of the match on the tennis channel. It was very unnerving. I may not have been watching it live at the time. I was changing the channel and checking back to see if Rafa was giant to retire. It was in the fourth set, score 1-1.

    Rafa went over to get his towel and then he leaned his head against the back fence. That was hard to watch. He was really struggling with the pain. It was late at night abd I had trouble going to sleep after seeing that. Although I hoped he could find a way to play in the semis, after seeing that moment it made me think that maybe it was just too much. Those moments are very haunting.

    It makes it a little easier to deal with him withdrawing today. It stinks but it was the right decision. That tear would have gotten worse and he may not have been okay to play at the US Open. I actually thought he had a very good chance to win Wimbledon. With the foot under control and his grass game starting to click, I liked his chances. I don’t think he was chasing windmills. I also think Rafa believed he could win.

    I am sorry that he lost the chance at the calendar slam. But I am okay knowing that he put it all on the line out there in yesterday’s match.

    • Yes, I agree with that NNY. I always felt it was ambitious to think that Rafa could win the calendar slam that’s y I kinda wanted him to forego FO and make a push for the title at Wimby, but it’s a good thing he didst do that given what’s happened. I did think too that he could beat Novak in the final, he was playing well enough, but it was just not meant TO BE. VAMOS CHAMP, SEE U AT THE US OPEN!!!

  76. Rafa has made the right decision and I respect it. CYGS is hard to achieve; Djoko who was physically healthy last year couldn’t achieve it, so it’s too much to ask for, for Rafa who is injury prone.

    From what I’ve seen of Rafa’s matches, I’m happy with his game as he has improved yet again. I would say that he’s playing well this year at Wimbledon, close to his 2018/2019 Wimbledon level. I hope he will come back next year to try and win the title, with a healthier body and an even better game!

    Vamos Rafa, keep trying!

  77. I woke up sad today having to miss the nervousness of a slam sf coupled with excitement of prospect of making a final .

    I hope my prediction of rafa getting 22 as my other all time fav Steffi does not come to pass. Rafa Def deserves one more non clay slam n I hope it’s uso this year. God please make it happen. I know 22 in itself with history of injuries is excellent too but we need more. If many ppl said rafa has great stars this year as 2010 , I am hoping he closes the year with 3 like in 2010.

    Pls God make it happen. If he wins uso, he will be slam leader at 2 slams.

    • Sanju,

      I am sad, too. I thought Rafa had a really good chance to win here. The foot procedure worked and his game on grass was getting better and better. His serve was also very good. I do not buy into this invincibility idea about Novak. My opinion is that the layoff due to not being vaccinated hurt him a lot. All these months not being able to play. Then he came back for the clay season and looked like crap. He managed to win Rome and suddenly he was considered the favorite for RG. I never bought it. His easy draw did not prepare him for Rafa. So he lost. He had another cupcake draw and Sinner went up two sets on him but could not finish it.

      I would have loved to see Rafa win here and go for the calendar slam. I am sure Rafa is also very disappointed. But he has his eye on the US Open now. I hope he finishes the last slam with a resounding win.

      We have to be grateful for what he has done this year. I don’t think anyone expected him to win the AO. Then another record setting RG. It’s been great.
      😍

    • Sorry you are feeling sad today sanju!
      Despite my upbeat attitude yesterday I am very disappointed. I really did believe he could win wimby. And do the calendar slam.
      But we have to try and look on the bright side, and Rafa is 19-0 in slam matches this year with his second best slam to come. I really do think Rafa is going to win more than 22 slams.
      I was thinking about USO last night and, given he has missed many through injury, I worked out he has won 4 of the last 7 he has played plus the final in 2011. That’s an incredibly impressive stat and is far better than Novak’s. He may have only won 1 less but it’s from way more attempts. And everyone says Novak is the greatest hard court player of all time!

      • Novak has 3 out of 9 at uso. It’s his worst as far as conversion goes. It’s to him what ao is to Rafa (2/6)

        I am really hoping things click at uso n since Moya will be on-site with him ,it just makes me feel better

        • I agree about the positive impact of Moya being there. He is Rafa’s main coach afterall! And he was a #1 with real understanding of the game.
          Fingers crossed for USO!!

          • BTW it is a bit strange everyone bangs on about how Novak is the greatest on hard courts and only looks at the AO!! His record at the USO isn’t actually consistent with that assessment.
            Also, it’s easier for Novak to rack up slams given there are 2 hard court slams and one on clay. Imagine how many Rafa would have if the situation were reversed!

  78. Extremely disappointing. I thought he could beat Novak here as the gap between him and Novak on grass seemed minimal. His Forehand back to best. Serve was workign well prior to the abdomen issue. Oh well. What can you do.

    • Yeah I thought he could beat Novak as well. I don’t actually buy into this narrative of Novak being unbeatable. Starting with wimby last year he has looked fallible. I won’t be surprised if he loses.

  79. Anyhow, the pool of candidates who can win on grass is so minimal that Rafa had a bright chance. The pool of players for USO is a lot bigger. But, I trust Rafa. One thing is the crowd support will be massive for him (those in NYC, let’s plan to meet up at the Open??).

    • Hey Atul, I am planning on coming to the US Open actually. I am deserving of a trip and some R&R. I would be nice to meet up and cheer for our man, lol!! I haven’t been to the US Open since my first tine in 2008. I think it’s WELL WELL overdue.

      Anyway folks, don’t be sad about Rafa’s withdrawal. I’ve come to learn that every cloud has a silver lining! We’ll find out soon enough!

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