It’s the media bombshell of the day and the latest installment of our ongoing “they won’t be going to London” saga. Rafael Nadal, the reigning Olympic tennis champion has pulled out of the Olympic Games because of tendon problems in his left knee.
Nobody saw it coming, even though just a few weeks ago, the Spaniard canceled an exhibition match against Novak Djokovic that was to take place in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, in his home country, Spain. No one seemed too concerned at the time, thinking it was just a precautionary measure.
Guess again: the dreaded tendonitis has dashed his dreams of re-editing his Olympic exploits. To make matters worse, he was to be the flag bearer of the Spanish delegation, he won’t get that honor either. A dark day indeed for Nadal: “I am not in condition to compete in the London Olympics. It’s one of the saddest moments of my career.”
