When Rafael Nadal withdrew from his Wimbledon semifinal match vs. Nick Kyrgios scheduled for Friday, fans immediately began debating whether the opponent Nadal beat on Wednesday, American Taylor Fritz, deserved to take the Spaniard’s spot instead of Kyrgios earning a walkover into the Wimbledon final.
Nadal’s withdrawal came from an abdominal tear he suffered during the quarterfinals match on Wednesday. Nadal overcame Fritz 3–6, 7–5, 3–6, 7–5, 7–6(4) in the four-hour, 20-minute match. Because it was such a close match, and in many moments fans thought Fritz would outlast the 22-time Grand Slam champion, fans argued that the American deserved a chance at playing Kyrgios in the semifinal.
The concept of a “lucky loser” constantly was brought up in conversations. This would mean the previous loser, in this case Fritz, would be able to play in Nadal’s spot in the semifinals vs. Kyrgios.
