A devastated Rafael Nadal has slammed Australian Open organisers over player injuries after being forced to retire from the tournament.
The world No. 1 succumbed to a leg muscle injury in the fifth set of his quarter-final clash with Maric Cilic on Tuesday night.
Nadal, who will undergo scans to determine the exact nature and severity of his injury, said player welfare needed to be considered.
A devastated Rafael Nadal (pictured) has slammed Australian Open organisers over player injuries after being forced to retire from the tournament
The world No. 1 (pictured) succumbed to a leg muscle injury in the fifth set of his quarter-final clash with Maric Cilic on Tuesday night
Nada (pictured), who will undergo scans to determine the exact nature and severity of his injury, said player welfare needed to be considered
‘Somebody who is running the tour should think a little bit about what’s going on,’ Nadal said.
‘Too many people are getting injured.
‘I don’t know if they have to think a little bit about the health of the players. Not for now that we are playing, but there is life after tennis.
‘I don’t know if we keep playing on these very, very hard surfaces what’s going to happen in the future with our lives.’
The Spaniard (pictured) received treatment in the fourth set before he succumbed down a break in the fifth set with Cilic leading 3-6 6-3 6-7 (7-5) 6-2 2-0 on Rod Laver Arena
The Spaniard received treatment in the fourth set before he succumbed down a break in the fifth set with Cilic leading 3-6 6-3 6-7 (7-5) 6-2 2-0 on Rod Laver Arena.
Nadal called for the trainer for the first time down 1-4 in the fourth set and received treatment high on his right leg by the side of the court.
The 31-year-old received further attention after he lost the fourth set and shook Cilic’s hand after he lost his first service game of the final set.
‘It’s not my hip, but I can’t tell you exactly the muscle,’ a despondent Nadal told reporters after he limped slowly into his post-match press conference in obvious discomfort.
Nadal (pictured) called for the trainer for the first time down 1-4 in the fourth set and received treatment high on his right leg by the side of the court
‘It’s high on the leg.
‘We’ll communicate what’s going on after I have an MRI.’
The Spaniard said he first felt that the muscle was ‘a little bit tired’ in the third set then felt something happen when he played a drop shot in the fourth.
Nadal withdrew from tournaments at the end of last season due to an ongoing knee injury that also forced him out of this year’s Brisbane International.
Players of the calibre of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic have also struggled with injuries over the past 12 months.
Nadal has retired once before at the Australian Open, in 2010, when he was trailing Andy Murray in a quarter-final.
Rafael Nadal (pictured, right) of Spain reacts after retiring against Marin Cilic (pictured, left) of Croatia during the men’s quarter final match