Rafael Nadal came through abdominal pain to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the eighth time in his career. After over four hours of gripping drama that ebbed and flowed, the Spaniard defeated Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 3–6, 7-5, 7-6(10-4). He is fighting to be fit in order to take to the court for a mouthwatering semi-final with Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
While many have applauded Nadal for portraying yet another example of never giving up and fighting through the pain, Fabio Fognini, who exited Wimbledon in the first round, wasn't buying his injury story. In response to an article about Nadal's latest triumph, the 35-year-old Italian took to Instagram to underline part of the headline that said he fought back from injury and wrote underneath: "For sure. Guys stop believe in what you read PLEASE!!!"
Nadal's fitness has been questioned in the past, as cyclist Thibaut Pinot criticised his use of cortisone injections throughout the French Open last month, which are banned in his sport.
After his quarter-final win on Wednesday, the 22-time Slam winner admitted he wasn't sure if he'd be able to recover in time to face Kyrgios. "I don't know," Nadal admitted.
"I'm going to have some more tests. It is difficult to know. I am used to having things, and I am used to having pain and playing with problems. Let's see. It's obvious that this is nothing new. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, this was the worst day.
“There has been an important increase in pain and limitation. I can't give you a clear answer because if I give you a clear answer and then another thing happens, I will be a liar." The Spaniard was still in action as Kyrgios spoke in his post-match conference after defeating Christian Garin in straight sets to make the first grand slam semi-final of his career.
But when asked about the prospect of the clash against his old rival, Kyrgios could not hide his excitement. "Yeah, obviously it would be pretty special to play Rafa here," he said. "We've had some absolute battles on that Centre Court. He's won one against me, and I've won one against him.
"Obviously, we know we are two completely different personalities. I feel like we respect the hell out of each other, though. I feel like that would be a mouth-watering kind of encounter for everyone around the world. That would probably be the most-watched match of all time. I would argue that."
