One day after winning the Wimbledon title for the first time, Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Mercedes Cup on Monday with muscle pain above his right knee.
The second-ranked Spaniard, who said he won’t play again until healthy, traveled to the Weissenhof tennis center to tell the promoters personally of his withdrawal as the clay-court event’s defending champion and star attraction.
“This was the least I can do. I’m disappointed that I can’t play,” Nadal said. “My doctor said I need a few days off. I will have a checkup and treatment and won’t return to the court until I am 100 percent fit.”
Nadal has played 47 matches since mid-March, claiming six titles and reaching another final. He had fought knee problems since before last year’s Wimbledon tournament.
“The calendar is hard on us players,” he said. “I have played four, five months without a break. I have to recover.”
The 22-year-old dethroned Roger Federer as Wimbledon champion on Sunday, needing 4 hours, 48 minutes to hold off the Swiss star’s stirring comeback, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7.
The win was Nadal’s first Grand Slam title outside of the French Open, which he has won the last four years.
Nadal, who won in 2005 and last year, withdrew after four seeded players pulled out on Friday. The worse loss was Rainer Schuettler, who had a surprise run into the Wimbledon semifinals until beaten by Nadal.
As a German, Schuettler was expected to pull in spectators. He has a right elbow injury.
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