"Dunno why this guy keeps entering tournaments hoping he’ll not be injured going into them"- Novak Djokovic fans react to Rafael Nadal withdrawing from the 2022 Canadian Open

Due to his incomplete recovery from an abdominal rupture, Rafael Nadal pulled out of the 2022 Canadian Open on Friday.

The Spaniard had suffered a 7mm abdominal tear during his Wimbledon quarterfinal against American Taylor Fritz, which he went on to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4). With tests revealing the severity of the injury, he withdrew from the tournament ahead of his semifinal match against Nick Kyrgios, granting the Australian him free passage to the title clash.

Nadal was scheduled to make a comeback at the National Bank Open in Canada, which gets underway on August 5. He even began preparations at his academy in Mallorca. However, with everything not smooth-sailing, the 36-year-old took to Twitter to withdraw from the tournament he has won five times.

Besides Nadal, his arch-rival Novak Djokovic also withdrew from the hardcourt competition in Montreal because of his decision to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, which makes him ineligible to enter Canada.

Djokovic's fans took to Twitter to express their opinion on the Spaniard's decision to withdraw from the prestigious hardcourt tournament. Some of them made fun of him for playing in competitions in the hopes that he wouldn't get hurt beforehand, and some even suggested that he should retire.

One user mocked Nadal by stating that he couldn't import his drugs into Canada.

"Nadal couldn’t get his drugs into Canada," one fan said.

Another user excoriated the 36-year-old's desire to compete in competitions with the hopes of avoiding injury.

"Dunno why this guy keeps entering tournaments hoping he’ll not be injured going into them," a tweet read.

Another user made fun of Rafael Nadal for dancing and riding a jet ski while injured.

"No more jet ski and dancing?" one user asked sarcastically.

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"I have no choice but to be prudent at this point" - Rafael Nadal on his withdrawal from Canadian Open

Day Eleven: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Canadian Open and stated that the decision was taken after he felt 'discomfort' during his training session. He claimed that his injury caused him some little difficulty during practice and that he was forced to use caution and consider his health at this time.

"From the vacation days and my subsequent return to training, everything has gone well these weeks. Four days ago I also started training the service and yesterday after training, I had a little discomfort that was still there today," he said.

"We have decided not to travel to Montreal and continue with the training sessions without forcing ourselves. I sincerely thank the tournament director, Eugene [Lapierre], and his entire team for the understanding and support they have always shown me and today was no exception, " he wrote further.

"I hope to play again in Montreal, a tournament that I love and that I have won five times in front of an audience that has always welcomed me with great affection. I have no choice but to be prudent at this point and think about health, " Nadal concluded.