Rafa has withdrawn from the 2012 Olympics
Photo by PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images
Reports are coming in from the Spanish press and the AP that Rafa has withdrawn from Wimbledon. More on this as the information becomes available.
Rafa Nadal renuncia a participar en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 – from the rtve.es. Here’s the mangle:
The tennis player Rafael Nadal, who was to be the bearer Spanish at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, will not participate in the Olympics and that is not “able to compete.”
“I am not able to compete. It is one of the saddest moments of my career,” said Nadal, in a statement.
This waiver would mean that the sailors Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez would be the champions of the Spanish delegation at the opening ceremony.
And from 20minutos.es: Rafa Nadal no irá a los Juegos (mangle).
Thanks to Inés and Tambalai for links.
AP is reporting that Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from London Olympics & will not be defending his title #tennis #london2012
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) July 19, 2012
Having spoken to Rafa a few days ago, I cannot be too surprised he has, apparently, withdrawn from Olympic Games. Shattering blow though
— Neil Harman (@NeilHarmanTimes) July 19, 2012
Nadal says waited as long as possibleto withdraw, says it would be “selfish” to deprive compatriot in better shape of #Olympic spot
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) July 19, 2012
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This is very hard for Rafa and his fans, I was shocked when I was the alert on my phone today from bleacher report! so it must be serious or necessary for further recovery!
Poor Rafa, hope he recovers soon… bless him this must be awful for him..
This is really bad news. I am gutted especially at the thought of how Rafa must feel, not being able to compete and carry the flag for his country, which means so much to him. I’m not sure which of the blows is worse.
I think I will be very worried every time he does not compete from now on. The time between treatments seems to be shorter and shorter. I do not doubt his courage and determination, I just wonder how much longer the body will follow. Please tennis gods, let this be good in the long run, because it certainly sucks now…
This sucks! BIG TIME!
Poor, Poor Rafa :(
Get well soon honey.
All the sympathy to Rafa, his family and team. A sad day for tennis indeed.
“It will be an Olympic Game without on of the great stars of sport”, as one tv station in my country announced in those few, but very true words.
What a day this has been – in the morning full of joy from the video about Rafa and his many achievements, in the afternoon full of sadness about the fact, that he had to withdraw from the Olympics.
The fans will suffer, because we will not be able to see you carry the flag and compete at the Olympics, but you will suffer the most, because you really wanted this so much.
All the best to you Rafa.
It is too hard for Rafa to complete..though it is too hard for Rafa’s fans not to be sad, not seeing him in Olympic.
But this sad situation show how GREAT Rafa is !!
We always with you…Vamos Rafa
So terribly sad for Rafa…heartbreaking for him…There’s such a void when he’s not competing. He brings such energy and excitement. We miss you Rafa, and hope for healing and full recovery…
Woke up to read about his withdrawal and am more than shocked! Rafa was so happy to be the flag bearer and looking forward to be in the Village. I’m trying to react positively but it’s tough. To pull out of the Games – does it mean the knees are in a worse state than we thought? I sure hope the rest Rafa will be getting will help a lot towards the knees healing. I hope this rest is all in preparation for a longer career in tennis. I cannot and don’t want to imagine tennis without him in the near future! But on the other hand, it pains me to see Rafa suffering from the physical problems, especially that of the knees.
Rafa is so gracious, more than words can say. Giving the chance to his fellow countrymen to compete. But I miss him loads already, was hoping to see him draped in the Spanish flag. Just can wish him all the best.
Estimable Rafa,
Buena salud te desiamos en compania con tu familia y tu equipo. Mi familia y conocidos tenemos gran respecto con su abilidad y etica en el deporte de tenis.Buena felicidad y salud te deseamos.Rogamos pr ti.
b
I woke up this morning hoping this would look better today but it doesn’t. :-(
Im still getting over my disappointment but I would rather he missed the Olympics and I see him play for the rest of the season than visa versa. When I start to suffer Rafa tennis withdrawal I watch some of his other matches. Watched USO final 2010 the other day, never get bored of watching re runs and it makes me realise a fit and healthy Rafa is sensational, magnificent ,awesome,amazing and unstoppable and makes me appreciate him even more.
Hope Rafa recovers well, no matter how long it takes.
Today is one of the saddest days of my tennis following life… but well-said, Sharon – every word.
It’s ok. USO it is then…
He will be back, better, stronger and faster to take the USO in August, vamos Rafa…and remember this; ‘It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.
Woke up today,and stl feel sad about the news.:-(
My heart is breaking, I dare not even imagine how Rafa feels. What can compensate for this? A longer career? 20 grand slams? I don’t know but oh God please help Rafa overcome this terrible blow too. He is the best and always will be to me and I want for him the greatest in life. But this is hard indeed, this is hard. I know one day I will see you raise a trophy aloft and hope you can look back and know the sacrifice was worth it. For me, you are worth it. I cry today but I will rejoice with you tomorrow.
P.S. I’m really glad now that I did not get Olympics tennis tickets. For me, this Olympics tennis has become Wimblahdumb version 2.
This really does suck major tennis ball sack. For Rafa, for his fans, for the Olympics, for London, for the sportivity in general. He did, however, have a perfect Olympic games in 2008, so I’m not going to be too sad. And I will still enjoy watching it all.
Found this on the VB site. It sounds like the Nadal team has been keeping this from the media as long as possible – ie. the knee was bothering him since the middle of May!
I would like to think that he withdrew from the OG to safeguard his career and the longetivity of it but somehow pulling out wasn’t a matter of choice but a necessity. It makes you wonder since middle of May he may have damaged more things and new which has now resulted from even more time to heel. That would make sense. Looks like no way playing in Toronto, very iffy about Cinci and if US open no match play whatsover. Seems he sacrificed playing bloody Madrid (when got the start of the knee problem?) to Rome and French Open, knowing full well it was risky. It is such a catch 22 situation. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Poor Rafa. The knees will always be a problem. I just hope he can definitely reschedule things so he can play into his 30′s and get that Olympic gold medal again and the flag bearer which would be a fitting end to his career. We have been blessed with Rafa and will continue to be blessed with Rafa and cherish even more when he plays – win or lose.
Nadal prescribed two weeks rest from sport
Madrid, 20 July (EFE).- Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, gold medallist in Beijing 2008, has to have at least two weeks “rest from sport” as a consequence of the injury he sustained at Wimbledon in June, according to a press release by the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) medical services.
Yesterday, Thursday, Nadal announced he would not be taking part in the London Olympic Games, where he was to have been the Spanish team’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony on 27 July.
The injury he has is tendinitis in the patellar tendon, which has been bothering him since the middle of May.
The RFET medical services say that “despite the great effort the tennis player has made and the intensive treatment he has undergone, Nadal will not be ready in time to be in an adequate condition to take part in the Olympic Games.”
Dr Ruiz Catorro, who heads the RFET Medical Services, has recommended a period of “not less than two week’s rest from sport before resuming the progressive programme of rehabilitation and muscle strengthening.”
In his own statement yesterday, Nadal said he was not in condition to compete at the London Olympics.
eta: The above was from EFE news agency.
so sad to hear this…why o why does he have to play all those clay matches!
just a bit frustrated, i was so looking forward to watching him play again.
Why? Perhaps because his sense of self demanded it. Because he wanted to silence his critics, to avoid the title of Grand Slam loser, to beat Djokovic, to redeem his recent career, to retain his ranking, to remain the King of Clay, to put himself so firmly in the HIS7ORY books that no one could match his clay achievements . . . and maybe because he feared this past clay season might have been his last opportunity to be at the top, given his knees.
For most of his 26 years, Rafa has been defined, by others and probably by himself, by what he does: win tennis games. Win them with dominating power, overwhelming speed, masterful defense, slashing intensity, clever shotmaking, exhausting persistence, gimlet-eyed opportunism . . .
Gosh, what a burden the expectations put upon him, by himself and by the public, including his critics and his fans, must be. And I’m as bad as any: I want him to be healthy and happy, for sure, absolutely — and to able to play well as long as he wants — but I dread the time to come when there is no more Rafa, the champion I admire and love, in tennis. Considering everything he has already given the sport and his fans, it is supremely selfish of me to want more — and yet, his resplendent excellence has been so enthralling and phenomenal and beautiful, that I hunger for yet more of someone I know I’ll never see the like of again. Do I sound like a junkie? I guess I am.
Well said, I hope he makes a full recovery, the sport needs him.
Melissa – I can only agree with every word you write. We want him to play as long as he possibly can but we know the toll it takes on his body to give us those magnificent shots, those blistering forehands, the miles he has to run on the court, the mental work he puts into the game and the huge pressure everyone puts on him. I wish that he’ll take as long as he needs to heal, stay away from the hard courts for a while and come back as the Rafa we know and love so much.
Without him, for me, tennnis is dull and life loses a bit of its lustre. He is definitely one of a kind and we’ll never again see the combination of talent, personal magnetism, integrity and attraction that Rafa displays without effort.
You speak the true.
Beautifully expressed Yolan and Melissa…
“For most of his 26 years, Rafa has been defined, by others and probably by himself, by what he does…”
So true, and while that is largely why we all admire and appreciate him, the more important “true” is that we appreciate and honor who he is – a caring, honest, compassionate, “peaceful warrior” – much more than what he does. He is an extraordinary human being, and how fortunate we are to be alive during his lifetime.
Julie, we agree, absolutely. There are and have been, in my life, several extraordinary tennis players, but no one like Rafa, who breaks so entirely the confines of his sport.
Though I was responding to Kyukee’s rhetorical question regarding his tennis, I am pretty sure everyone here values Rafa far more for what he is than for what he does. The unique combination of the two is awesome to contemplate, for sure, no?
Absolutely.