Rafael Nadal pulls out of ATP World Tour Finals with knee injury after defeat by David Goffin
World number one battles through the pain in three-set loss before confirming his season is over
The spirit was as strong as ever but Rafael Nadal’s troublesome knee failed him in the end as the Spaniard quit the ATP World Tour Finals after a painful defeat by Belgium’s David Goffin.
Nadal, at 31 the oldest player to finish a year ranked number one, fought until the last point at London’s O2 Arena, saving four match points in a compelling clash before losing 7-6( 7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in two hours and 37 minutes.
“My season is finished,” the 16-times grand slam champion said in a post-match news conference, minutes after his defeat.
“I had a commitment with the event, with the city, with myself. I tried hard. I did the thing that I had to do to try to be ready to play.
World number eight Goffin, the first player from Belgium to qualify for the year-ending tournament in its 48-year history, was a bundle of nerves at times but finally steadied himself to put Nadal out of his misery with his 14th ace.
Nadal, whose right knee flared up at the recent Paris Masters, could be seen grimacing as the match wore on, especially when he was forced wide or low, but he still managed to scrap his way back from 4-1 down in the decider, despite apparently playing on one leg.