Defending Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal officially announced his withdrawal from the grasscourt Slam which starts on Monday, citing his aching knees and doubts that he could really perform well enough to win the title.
The announcement came after the world number one lost his two matches on grass at an exhibition event. The Spaniard lost to former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.
“When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to win, and my feeling right now is I’m not ready to play to win,” Nadal said during a news conference that took place a couple of hours after his loss to Wawrinka.
Nadal said that he just made “one of the toughest decisions” in his career but he felt that he has no other options left.
The Spaniard started complaining about his knee problems since his surprise fourth-round exit in last month’s French Open. That loss ended his four-year reign in Roland Garros. A week after the claycourt Slam, he pulled out of the Queen’s Club grasscourt tourney where he’s also the defending champion.
In terms of his ranking, Nadal’s decision is going to be very costly since he’s giving recently crowned Roland Garros champ Roger Federer the chance to reclaim the top spot and even the title itself. Nadal defeated Federer in last year’s final.
The Swiss world number two is expected to make a comment on his fiercest rival’s withdrawal on Saturday’s pre-tournament media conference.
The men’s singles draw had to undergo rush changes as organizers adjust the void left by the world number one. Fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro will take Nadal’s place and could now face British player Andy Murray in the semifinals instead of Federer.
Potential quarterfinal matches include two-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick vs. del Potro, seventh seed Fernando Verdasco vs. Federer, Gilles Simon vs. Murray and fourth seed Novak Djokovic vs. James Blake.
Check the updated men’s draw HERE.
