"Kudos to Rafael Nadal for being able to play that quarterfinal match to the end with that injury" - Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic praised Rafael Nadal for fighting through his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz despite being injured.
The Spaniard suffered an injury to his abdominal area during the match and took a medical timeout during the second set. He returned to the court after taking painkillers and ended up winning the match 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).
However, Nadal was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of the injury.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club would like to extend our sympathies to @RafaelNadal
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Speaking to Serbian reporters, Novak Djokovic praised the Spaniard for being able to play on despite the injury. He also lamented the fact that there are no second semifinals for tournaments like Wimbledon.
"Injury is the greatest enemy of every athlete," Djokovic said. "Kudos to Nadal for being able to play that quarterfinal match to the end with that injury. He knows his body and capabilities best, and whether he should have played or not is up to him. It's really a shame for a tournament like this that there is no second semi-final, but that's how it is."
With Nadal withdrawing, his semifinal opponent Nick Kyrgios received a walkover to his maiden Grand Slam final.
Novak Djokovic will attempt to win his 7th Wimbledon title on Sunday
Novak Djokovic booked his place in Sunday's Wimbledon final after defeating ninth seed Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals.
The Serb will be up against Nick Kyrgios in the title match. The pair have squared off twice before, with Kyrgios winning both encounters in 2017. However, Sunday's final will be their first meeting on grass.
Djokovic. Kyrgios.
Centre Court. Sunday.
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after his semifinal win, Djokovic said there would be "a lot of fireworks" against Kyrgios on Sunday. The Serb added that Kyrgios has nothing to lose and would thus play with freedom.
“One thing is for sure, there's going to be a lot of fireworks emotionally from both of us," the World No. 3 said. "It's gonna be his first Grand Slam finals. Obviously, he’s very excited and he doesn't have much to lose, he’s always playing like that. He plays so freely and has one of the biggest serves in the game. [It will be] a big game overall, [there’s] a lot of power in his shots."
If Djokovic wins, he will become only the third man in history to win seven or more singles titles at Wimbledon, the others being Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. Victory for Kyrgios would see him become the first Australian man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.