Rafael Nadal's hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam have ended, when an abdominal strain forced him out of his highly anticipated Wimbledon semi-final showdown with Australian Nick Kyrgios.
"I have to pull out of the tournament, as I have been suffering with pain in abdominal," said the Spaniard, holder of a record 22 Grand Slam titles.
"I can't imagine winning two matches with this [pain]. For me, the most important thing is happiness, rather than the title, even though everyone knows how much effort I put into this, as I can't risk being out of the sport for 2-3 months.
"I am very sad."
Nadal had triumphed at the Australian and French Opens this year, and hoped to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar-year slam.
Nadal's withdrawal means Kyrgios becomes the first Australian to reach the men's final at the All England Club since Mark Philippoussis in 2003.
Reuters
