As usual, Nick Kyrgios had classified his upcoming semifinals in Wimbledon against Rafael Nadal in a reserved and modest manner.

"This will be the most watched match of all time," the Australian had predicted.

It was also historical, but very different than expected.

Kyrgios was the first player in the professional era to enter the final against Serbian Novak Djokovic without a fight.

Peter Penders

Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Sports.

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The big show between the Australian with the worst possible image and the "unbreakable" Spaniard, the recognized king of pain, was canceled late Thursday evening.

A seven-millimeter tear in the abdominal muscles had slowed Nadal down after 19 consecutive victories in the previous Grand Slam tournaments of the year.

late in training

"I'm in no shape to win another game or even two here.

And the likelihood of the injury getting worse would have been very high," Nadal said.

Not only would it have been very large - it would have been unavoidable.

There was an inkling that this sensational semi-final could not come to fruition on Thursday afternoon, when the Spaniard showed up for training almost 90 minutes late and had completed a light batting training course with a visibly limited ability.

At the latest when the serve movement was over, not even the very careful serve with which Nadal had managed to end the game victorious over long phases of his quarterfinals against the American Taylor Fritz was still possible.

On Wednesday, father Sebastian and sister Maria tried in vain to persuade him to stop.

"I hate quitting in the middle of a match," Nadal said.

His withdrawal was immediately followed by a discussion as to whether his inferior quarter-final opponent should not instead play against Kyrgios in the semi-finals.

After all, tickets for the day of the semi-finals on Center Court cost from the equivalent of 230 euros and up, but the thought that a player who had already been eliminated in the quarter-finals could win the tournament frightened even the players - apart from organizational questions.

No grand slam

"If I can't win against Nadal, I don't deserve the semi-finals either," said Fritz.

And as a small replacement, a women's doubles semi-final was scheduled for the spectators before the men's semi-final.

For Nadal, the withdrawal meant the end of the possibility of a Grand Slam, winning the four major tournaments in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York.

"I never dreamed of it," says the Spaniard - maybe he should be more concerned with how long his body can keep up with the exertion and not how many big tournaments he can still win.

In Melbourne he returned after a long injury break and celebrated a triumphant comeback, in Paris he won despite ankle pain.

The degenerative disease that has plagued him for years seemed to make it impossible to start at Wimbledon, but new radiofrequency therapy appears to have provided quick relief.

"I'm used to playing with pain, but this time it was impossible," said Nadal.

But even that only for a short time - already in the next week he wants to get back into light hitting training and only omit the serves for the time being.

Then the disappointment should have disappeared: "It's a shame because I think I would have had a chance here."