Rafael Nadal grabbed his fourth Madrid Open title on default on May 11. Kei Nishikori had to withdraw due to a back injury in the finals. Nishikori was behind 2-6, 6-4 and 3-0.
Toni Nadal, uncle and coach of "Rafa", said that they did not deserve the win and that Nishikori played better the entire time and should have won instead. He added that they had much luck during the match. Nadal's win could not be considered a comeback since Nishikori was suffering from a back problem the whole game.
In a report by CBC Sports, Nadal did not show significant improvements after exiting in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. The Spanish was the first back-to-back winner in Madrid.
The Japanese won the first set using powerful groundstrokes but Nadal recovered and broke a couple of times during the second set to tie the game, writes the LA Times. During the third set, Nishikori showed signs of pain and discomfort. A medical timeout was called to treat his lower back before he decided to withdraw from the match. At one point during the first set, Nishikori led 5-1. Toni Nadal said that early in the game, Nishikori was playing at a great level while Rafael was tense.
In an ABC News article, Nishikori also announced that he is withdrawing from the Rome tournament to fully recover for the French Open. He commented on his retirement in the Madrid Open, "It was very sad, especially (since) I was winning, playing almost best tennis in my life. It was very tough mentally for me. But I get a lot of confidence from this tournament." He added, "You never know what happens today if I'm not hurt. I may have chance to win."
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