Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Wimbledon 2022 semis, handing Nick Kyrgios a final berth. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz has clarified that he doesn't want a semis birth handout after losing to the former.
As a shocker for tennis fans, 222-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has pulled out of his semi-final clash against Nick Kyrgios of Australia at 2022 Wimbledon. Nadal has been nursing an abdominal injury for the past couple of matches, leading to his pullout. In the meantime, the Spaniard's walkover meant history for Kyrgios, as it gives him the chance to win a Grand Slam for the first time for an Australian since 2005 when Lleyton Hewitt competed in the US Open final. However, some fans felt that quarterfinalist Taylor Fritz of the United States of America (USA) should have been allowed as Nadal's replacement for the semis.
While it sounded interesting, Fritz was not keen on having opportunities handed out to him. When a social media user pondered the same, the American replied, "Nah, not looking for handouts. If I couldn't beat him [Nadal], then I don't deserve to be in the semis...simple as that."
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Meanwhile, Kyrgios took to his Instagram handle to send a wish to Nadal following the latter's pullout, as the former wrote, "Different players, different personalities. @rafaelnadal, I hope your recovery goes well, and we all hope to see you healthy soon. Till next time…"
As for Nadal's injury, the Spaniard clarified that he risked missing three months of action if he went ahead with the Kyrgios semis clash. "The most important thing is happiness more than any title. I can't risk that much and stay two or three months outside of the competition because that will be tough for me. If that happens, it happens, not because I was not doing things properly."