Rafael Nadal Out of Wimbledon

4 months ago 20th Jun 10:30

Rafael Nadal has announced that he will not be defending his Wimbledon title after being plagued by a knee injury.

The world number one and defending champion has struggled with tendonitis, something which has troubled him all of his career and all season, crashing out of the French Open to Robin Soderling.

After receiving treatment in Barcelona Nadal travelled to the UK to compete in two exhibition matches at the Hurlingham Club but was unhappy with his performances there.

   "I'm just not 100 per cent," Nadal told the packed press conference after his loss to Wawrinka last night.

"I'm better than I was feeling a couple of weeks ago, but I just don't feel ready. I want to try to get ready for the next tournaments after this. I don't feel ready to play in a tournament as important as Wimbledon. It's very painful for me."

During his match with Hewitt the Spaniard looked out of sorts as he struggled with his movement, losing in straight sets. But that was not the cast yesterday against Wawrinka, although he lost, he looked more comfortable as he pushed the Swiss player all the way eventually losing 4-6 7-6 10-3.

“I tried everything. I've worked very hard over the last few weeks. Today was the last test. I didn't feel terrible, but I didn't feel close to my best. When I start a tournament like this I want to win it and my feeling at the moment is that I'm not ready to win it.

“Not playing Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career, but there's no other option. I don't feel ready to compete 100 per cent for two weeks.

"I've played with some problems in my knees over the last few months. I've been making efforts to play every week, but with that pain it's hard."

However the twenty three year old assured everyone that it was not a chronic injury and that he would be back to full fitness however he would not speculate when he would return.

"Sportsmen always play with pain. You really don't know where the limit is. I just think I've reached the limit now.

"I'll work very hard to come back as soon as possible and when I come back I want to be 100 per cent both physically and mentally. The problem when I play at the moment is that I'm thinking more about my knees than my game. It's very difficult to play well when you're feeling like that.

"I don't know how long I will be out for. I've arrived at one of the most important parts of the year and two of the most important tournaments – Wimbledon and Roland Garros – feeling my worst. For that reason it's tough to accept.”

Nadal is now the first champion not to defend his crown at SW19 since Goran Ivanisevic missed the tournament back in 2002 after winning the title the year before.

But with the Spaniard now out of Wimbledon and failing to retain his title in Paris his world number one spot is under threat, should Federer lift the title he will return to the top of the rankings.

But the past twelve months have been very successful for Nadal who, at the age of just twenty three, already has six Grand Slam titles to his name as well as an Olympic gold medal.

2009 has been a good year for him as he won the Australian Open back in January for the very first time before going on to life the Masters title in Indian Wells.

But it’s on clay where he excelled winning the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters as well we getting to the final of the Masters in Madrid, also defending his title in Barcelona.

Already everyone is looking forward to see if Nadal will compete at the U.S Open at Flushing Meadows in September, the one Grand Slam title that eludes him. Should he win he would join Federer and five others in an elite group of players who gave won all four Grand Slam titles in their career.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw