Nadal withdrawal 'a smart decision' according to Corretja

Eurosport's Alex Corretja believes Rafael Nadal made "a smart decision" to withdraw from his Wimbledon semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios due to injury.

Nadal practised at the All England Club on Thursday ahead of the last-four clash with the Australian, but he then called a press conference for the evening in which he confirmed that he had been forced to pull out. It has been reported in the Spanish press that medical tests revealed he suffered a seven-millimetre tear in one of his abdominal muscles during the quarter-final against Taylor Fritz.

Speaking about it, Corretja said:

“It’s a pity, yes, but honestly, it was expected. I know that he fought so hard yesterday to beat Taylor Fritz, but today he tried and he realised that he had no chance to compete at the highest level, to beat Kyrgios and most likely [Novak] Djokovic or [Cameron] Norrie in the final."

He added:

"For him to play on two days in these circumstances, it was going to be very difficult. I know it’s difficult for him to make the decision, but I think it’s a smart decision because if you can’t play at your top level, it’s going to be almost impossible to win the Slam."

And finished off:

"I believe the most important thing for him now is to recover and take time off because if you get a tough injury, like three or four months again, away from the tournaments it will be devastating for his mind and for his goals for the year. We always support Rafa - especially now - and it’s a shame. If he knew that he wouldn’t be able to play the semi-final, I’m sure he would have retired. But he didn’t, and he thought that he might have a chance.”