The scowl on Rafael Nadal’s face and his low mutterings directed toward his coaches in the stands were the first indications on Friday night that something was wrong. When he asked for a trainer to tape his right knee, the level of concern elevated. And then, in perhaps the clearest sign of all, Nadal, one of the greatest ball-hunters in the history of tennis, allowed one to whiz past him without even giving chase.
But in the most unusual indication of his distress, Nadal actually told the chair umpire, in a moment of pique over a questionable call in the second set, that he was going to retire from the match.