Nick Kyrgios, Wimbledon 2022 finalist, on Thursday wished Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard withdrew from the tournament due to injury. The two were supposed to battle in the semi-finals on Friday. However, with Rafa gone, the Aussie got a walkover. 

Kyrgios will face the winner of the semifinal match between No 1 seed Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie for the All England title on Sunday. 

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Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon because of a torn abdominal muscle. The 36-year-old has been bothered by the issue for about a week, and the pain became nearly unbearable in the first set of his 4-hour, 21-minute victory via fifth-set tiebreaker against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The 22-time Grand Slam winner after the quarters admitted that he had considered stopping before it was over. 

He wore two strips of athletic tape on his lower stomach and took a medical timeout to take painkilling pills; his father and sister motioned from the stands for him to quit.

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Nick Kyrgios, who will play his first Grand Slam final on Sunday, expressed his hope to meet Rafa soon on a tennis court. 

“Different players, different personalities. Rafael Nadal, I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon, till next time,” Kyrgios wrote in a social media post. 

Nadal was chasing a calendar slam this year. The Spanish legend won the Australian Open in January and French Open in June. He has a 19-0 record in Grand Slam games in 2022. 

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It is the first time since 1931 that a man pulled out of the oldest Grand Slam tournament before a semifinal or final.

“I made my decision because I believe that I can’t win two matches under these circumstances,” Nadal said at a news conference at the All England Club. “I can’t serve. It’s not only that I can’t serve at the right speed, it’s that I can’t do the normal movement to serve.”