‘hard to watch’ Fans are devastated as Rafael Nadal limps off the court
Follow Us
Rafael Nadal
In a rather interesting turn of events, 21-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal suffered a shocking defeat in the hands of Canadian southpaw Denis Shapovalov in the Round of 16 of the Rome Masters. Nadal lost the match in three sets 6-1,5-7,6-2 and ended his quest to a record 11th title at Foro Italico.
Nadal looked in charge of the match after the first set and many believed that he’d wrap things up comfortably but to his dismay, Nadal started feeling discomfort in his left foot towards the end of the second set which he eventually lost 5-7. The 35-year-old tried to regroup in the third set and stayed in serve till the 5th game when things started getting worse. The pain was visible on his face as he couldn’t move much and at times limped on the court. He lost 17 out of the last 20 points and lost the set 2-6.
The last few minutes of the match were very tough to watch for almost anyone. It was hard to see a legend of the sport struggling on a surface he has owned basically all his life. Nadal has a chronic foot problem which means that his foot will never be 100% okay. The pain might kick in at any point and that’s what happened in Rome on Thursday.
Also Read: âHappy to turn it around,â Denis Shapovalov stuns a struggling Rafael Nadal on clay
Fans react to Rafael Nadal’s untimely injury
Fans were quick to react to Nadal’s injury. Social media was flooded with heartwarming messages for Nadal as fans expressed their sadness and sympathy towards the 21-time grand slam champion.
Stay Updated!
Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)