Shocking truth emerges after Rafa Nadal's Wimbledon withdrawal
The French Open tournament director has revealed Rafa Nadal may have been suffering from a foot injury ahead of his stunning loss to eventual champion Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros.
Nadal and Djokovic put on a Roland Garros classic before the World No.1 prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7-4), 6-2 to become the first man ever to defeat the Spaniard twice in Paris.
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Djokovic went on to lift the Roland Garros trophy and claim his 19th Grand Slam title.
Nadal has since shocked the tennis world after he announced the clay court season had taken a toll on his body and he would miss Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
But French Open tournament director Guy Forget offered a reason to why Nadal could be out.
According to an interview by Tennis Majors, Forget said Nadal had pain in his foot ahead of the match against Djokovic.
But the Spaniard has since opted to keep this injury quiet.
"He had a bit of pain in his foot," Forget said, according to a translation from Essentially Sports.
Nadal did seek a trainer at the end of the fourth set during the match, which could have been for the same niggle he was suffering.
But Forget said Nadal had the 'class' not to raise his issue in defeat, while he praised the pair for such a remarkable display.
"Everyone was amazed at the quality of this fight. Both players pushed the envelope and showed that they still dominate tennis," Forget added.
Unfortunately, this potential injury could have been the deciding factor to why Nadal has skipped Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
Nadal to miss Wimbledon and Olympics
Nadal announced that he will not be playing Wimbledon or the Tokyo Olympics in an attempt to protect his body, thus missing out on his next chance to overtake Roger Federer and secure a men's record 21st grand slam title.
The 35-year-old, who won the last of his two titles at the All England Club in 2010, revealed the news on Twitter.
"Hi all, I have decided not to participate at this year's Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo," he wrote.
"It's never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision."
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