3 times Rafael Nadal retired mid-match from a Grand Slam due to injury

22-time singles Slam champion Rafael Nadal is known for his aggressive and tenacious style of play. The Spaniard suffers from Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a chronic degenerative disorder affecting the bony tissues of the mid-foot. Apart from the foot, Nadal has been constantly bothered by injuries affecting his knees, hips and back. Despite that, the former World No.1 has time and again overcome all obstacles to win Majors.

In 2022, Nadal inched ahead of his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the Slam count when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open. He later won a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title after defeating Casper Ruud in the final. But after the tournament, Nadal was vocal about his foot injury. He revealed that he had to numb his foot with multiple injections to remain pain-free in the final.

“They blocked the sensory nerves at a distance. If the motor nerves are numbed, you can’t move your foot. This isn’t an exact science either, because there are days when the numbness is a bit lower. For example, yesterday in the final, my toes went to sleep and my feel was worse, but you have to control your ankle. I continued to control it enough to be able to compete. You have control of your foot, but there is no sensation. There may be a little more risk of twisting your ankle. The way I’m playing, with a numb foot, it doesn’t matter if there’s less feeling because I go from limping to being pain free. It can’t continue, but I was able to win the tournament because I could move and run. That wasn’t the case in Madrid or Rome," said Nadal after winning the 2022 French Open.

There were concerns about Nadal's participation at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. Despite trailing Kamil Majchrzak in a practice match on grass, the Spaniard's fitness coach, Francisco Roig, was confident that Nadal would be fit for Wimbledon. Nadal won his second and last Wimbledon title 12 years ago and played his first match on grass in three years. He is currently through to the quarterfinals where he will face Taylor Fritz.

Here's a look at three times Rafael Nadal has retired from a Grand Slam match due to injury:

#1 2010 Australian Open QF: Rafael Nadal vs Andy Murray

Rafael Nadal at the 2010 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal was a six-time singles Slam champion when he entered the 2010 Australian Open as the defending champion and second seed. He was drawn against fifth seed Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Nadal entered the event after finishing as a runner-up at Doha a couple of weeks before the first Slam of the year. The Spaniard reached the quarterfinals following two consecutive four-set wins against Ivo Karlovic and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Murray, on the other hand, was yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Nadal led Murray 7-2 in the head-to-head. While the statistics were heavily in favor of Nadal, it was Murray who took a commanding two-sets-to-love lead. The Brit was leading 3-0 in the third set after two hours and 30 minutes before Nadal decided to retire due to a right knee injury. Murray would go on to make his first ever Slam final, which he would lose against top seed Roger Federer. The 2010 season got much better for Nadal, who won the remaining three Majors and completed a Career Golden Slam.

Murray later spoke about the match and said he was "gutted" for Nadal.

"I've known Rafa since I was 13, he's my favorite player to watch so I was gutted for him," said Murray.

#2 2018 Australian Open QF: Rafael Nadal vs Marin Cilic

Rafael Nadal at the 2018 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal entered the 2018 Australian Open as the top seed. The then 16-time singles Slam champion had a mediocre start to the season, losing to Richard Gasquet at the Kooyong Exhibition and later finishing as a runner-up to Tomas Berdych in the inaugural edition of the Tie Break Tens. At the 2018 Australian Open, sixth seed Marin Cilic drew Nadal in the quarterfinals. Cilic had a decent start to the season, reaching the semis in Pune and losing to Matthew Ebden at the Kooyong Exhibition.

Nadal led Cilic 5-1 in the head-to-head. The match got off to a thrilling start, with both players sharing the first two sets. After Nadal took the third set, it appeared that the momentum was now with the Spaniard. However, the 2014 US Open champion took a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, which was followed by a medical timeout for Nadal. The Spaniard was hobbling, and eventually retired due to a hip injury after three hours and 47 minutes. Cilic ended his 2018 Australian Open campaign as the runner-up, losing to Federer in the final.

Cilic later spoke about the match, saying Nadal's retirement was "unfortunate" since the Spaniard always gives his "best on the court."

"In the end very unfortunate because Rafa is always fighting really hard, always giving the best on the court,” Cilic said.

#3 2018 US Open SF: Rafael Nadal vs Juan Martin del Potro

Rafael Nadal at the 2018 US Open

After a long hiatus due to multiple wrist surgeries, Juan Martin del Potro got accustomed to the tour yet again in 2016 and 2017. Having finally got the hang of the tight scheduling and new opponents, the Argentine came out in full force in 2018. He won titles at Acapulco and Indian Wells, made the semis at Roland Garros and finished as a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon. Del Potro returned to the World No. 3 spot in the rankings.

Rafael Nadal entered the 2018 US Open as the top seed. The Spaniard had won his 17th Major at Roland Garros that year. He had a physically demanding campaign at Wimbledon, winning against del Potro in the quarterfinals in four hours and 48 minutes, followed by a fifth-set loss to Novak Djokovic in five hours and 17 minutes.

Nadal led del Potro 11-5 in the head-to-head before they drew each other yet again in the 2018 US Open semis. Nadal entered the contest after two consecutive matches that went over four hours. Del Potro dropped only one set en route to the semis. The Argentine took the first set and found himself leading 4-1 in the next. Nadal had his knee heavily taped but was clearly struggling with his movement on the court. After winning the first two sets 7-6(3) 6-2, Nadal was forced to retire, handing del Potro the win.

Del Potro later spoke about the match and said he was sad to see the Spaniard suffer, but was happy to be in a Major final again.

“I love to play against Rafa because he is the biggest fighter in the sport and I don’t like to see him suffer like he did today. But I am also so happy to be in the final again. The key to the match was the first set. It was a really tough one and I did well in the tie-break, served well,” he said.