Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Wimbledon

Perhaps the steroids are catching up to Mr. Nadal as his body shows all the symptoms of regularly breaking down.

I used to love Raf, his hard work and grit, the way he'd use his massive forehand to crush the ball, and his always enjoyable matches. However, I admit that after he through a fit about the roof noise, along with the other ambient sounds, I didn't like him as much. I figured as storied a champion, he should hold himself like one.

However, it is sad to see father time finally make him miss Wimbledon.

Very disappointing, but sadly inevitable given his extreme style of play.

Sadly retirement is nigh for this humble gladiator.

He is my favorite tennis player.......and also very good looking. So sad to see him falling apart physically.

We are Nadal fans. I am looking forward to his return. Hope he recovers well and come back stronger and better.

What men's tennis fan could not have loved the spectacle of the Big 4 battling each other over the last decade, but, sadly, that era is now past. Djokovic has stretched his preeminence and virtually lapped the field. Still, I treasure Rafa's heart, his humanity, and his incredible skills with that lefty topper forehand of his.

Nobody gives it his all on the tennis court more than Nadal. It has been a great pleasure to watch him all these years. We hope he has some left in him. My wife says he is a great manly specimen and she loves to admire him. He generous to his opponent in victory and he doesn't come up with excuses in defeat. He seems like someone who would be a good role mode.

Under the conditions and circumstance of his injury, that is about the best thing for Rafael Nadal to do.

A gladiator with a golden heart.

Why is it players call the French Open "Roland Garros" and the Championships "Wimbledon" but nobody calls the US Open "Flushing"?

Rafa ! We love you..your desire, your mental strength, your gentle respectful demeanor. We hope for the best. It's not the same without you. Signed : ....tennis fans.. everywhere.

Curses!!!! But a wise decision by Rafa. Hope he recovers in time for the Summer Olympics.

Injury and age will probably preclude Nadal from winning on hard courts in Melbourne or New York again, and his last success on grass at Wimbledon is already six years ago. Even on clay, Nadal time will close the gap between his skills and those of other players. So there is good reason to think that Nadal may have won his last grand slam event. This only makes Roger Federer's ability to reach the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of major tournaments post age 30 all the more remarkable.

This is, unfortunately, the end of a great era that saw two great players, Nadal and Federer, consistently on the scene. Now with their slow but inevitable decline, we've seen the rise of Djokovic, who just completed the Djoker Slam (holding all 4 grand slams), but despite that historic achievement, he's received no media attention. The reason is simply that in their decline, Nadal and Federer still overshadow Djokovic. We should all simply appreciate these three great players and thank them for entertaining us and lifting the sport to such great heights.