Rafael Nadal pulled out of the National Bank Open on Tuesday due to the left foot injury that has persistently troubled him recently.
“I really wanted to play here a lot, but now is the moment to make a decision, and this is unfortunately the decision that I have taken,” said Rafa.
“I have had this issue for a couple of months, as people know. Of course, it is not a happy situation after all the success that I had here in Canada, not being able to play this year after missing a year. It’s a tough one, but that’s how it is today.
“I need to go back and try to find a way to be better again. At the end of the day, for me the most important thing is enjoy playing tennis. Today, with this pain, I am not able to enjoy, and I really don’t believe that I have chances to fight for the things that I really need to fight.”
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Rafa, take a year,get healed and know that your fans appreciate your choices. You have given much of yourself to the world!!!! Give yourself permission to rest. Thank you for being you!!
I woke up today excited that I’ll be watching my champ Rafa play again… Only to be dealt the blow by the news that he had withdrawn.
I’m gutted. Must be terrible for Rafa himself who loves to compete, and must have been really looking forward to his sweet revenge against Harris. Alas it was not to be.
I wish the Champ all the best. Dealing with injuries like this is probably very unbelievably frustrating for our champ. Yet he finds a way somehow and comes back to, as he likes to put it, fight for the important things.
Any time Rafa steps onto the court, he faces two opponents-the one across the net, and also his body. I’ve said this before- if Rafa had not had all the downtimes due to injury during his career, our champ would be on 30 GS titles by now. AND DJOKER WOULD HAVE LESS THAN 10.
I believe that the Djokovic we all know and ‘love’ was created in part, by Rafa. Or rather, the absence of Rafa.
Let’s take a look back to 2010. Rafa won FO, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He was on course for a ‘Rafa Slam’ at the AO in 2011, but injury got the better of him in the QF and he limped to a loss against his good friend David Ferrer. If Rafa’s body had held up, he would have stopped Djoker in his tracks in that final, in my humble opinion.
Of course Djoker ended up winning, and the rest is history. Yet Rafa, dealing with all the injury issues, has still managed to rack up 20 GS wins. Unlimited Rafa would win against unlimited Djokovic on any surface.
But here we are. Same injury cycle rearing its ugly head again. No matter… As long as Rafa has the fire, our champ will come back strong. If not at the US Open, then in 2022 when our sweetheart will sweep all the Slams and retire in glory by winning the YEC 2022.
Rafa will retire on his own terms, thank you very much!
We can still dream, because why not. With Rafa always. Get well soon Champ!
I wish you the best of health. I know your rest is a good idea and hope it helps !!!!!!
Ok Marijnt, i’ve just gone back through the posts and seen who criticised your comment.
Marijnt, re you post @ 6.52pm. Who exactly is criticising your comment that Rafa plays too many clay tournament?
Exactly Ramara miracles can happened and will see our Champ in the Open, vavas Rafa and wishing u a speedy recovery
Breaking news.
Nadal also withdrawn from cincinnati. So that means no match practice if i were him I would not go to new york and then lose in the first week just like in 2015 against fognini and 2016 against pouille. Dont go rafa just let the injury heal and say goodbye to this year and please cut your clay court schedule that is destroying the last years of your career
This season turned out to be a disaster for rafa. It is 2015 2016 all over again. He started the year well at the australian open where he was on a roll until something happend against stefanos and he lost in the quarterfinal.
The problem for rafa is covid and injuries. I thought the rafa was healed from the foot injury if that was not the case why did he returned at the citi open.
Rafa is not going to play cincinnati and also no us open. If you are not fit and dont have any match practice then you have no business being in new york. You dont go there and then lose in the first week against a nobody.
Rafa played to many clay tournaments and now he is suffering because of that. He still thinks he is 25 years old. I dont see novak winning the us open either I think he is mentally hurt by not winning a medal for his country.
So that left the so called new generation. For me personally I hope it will be zverev or shapovalov. I dont think that nadal would have withdrawn if it was a clay tournament