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Rafael Nadal doesn't know if he'll be fit to tackle his mouth-watering Wimbledon semi-final with Nick Kyrgios after his heroic triumph against Taylor Fritz.
A gloomy Rafael Nadal has cast doubt over his chances of being fit to face Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon semi-final the world wants to see.
But after he defied his family, who wanted him to pull out because of his painful abdomen injury during his quarter-final with Taylor Fritz, the indefatigable Nadal demonstrated almost super-human spirit on Wednesday to keep his dream of a calendar grand slam alive.
But the 36-year-old noted pointedly his health was more important then a third Wimbledon title and record-extending 23rd grand slam.
Asked if he'd be fit to play Kyrgios on Friday after his astonishing 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win, the Australian and French Open champ Nadal shrugged: "I don't know.
"Honestly, I can't give you a clear answer because if, tomorrow, another thing happens, I will be a liar.
"It's the player decision, but at the same time I need to know different opinions and need to check everything the proper way, no?
"Something more important than winning Wimbledon, that is the health. Let's see how this is going."
If he's out there ready to play the eagerly-awaited third leg of his Wimbledon trilogy with Kyrgios on Friday, though, the Australian will know he's got a completely indomitable figure starting at him across the net.
For his triumph over Fritz might just have been Nadal's most unfeasible yet, as he got treated off-court at one set down and 4-3 up in the second for an injury clearly restricting his freedom of movement and serving speed.
Seeing his evident agony, his father and sister in the players' box started gesturing to him.
"They told me I need to retire the match," shrugged Nadal - but the idea was anathema to him.
"I tried. For me, was tough to retire in the middle of the match. Not easy even if I had that idea for such a long time.
"I did it a couple of times in my tennis career. Is something that I hate to do. So I just keep trying - and that's it."
The doctor couldn't do much. "Gave me some anti-inflammatories. Well, anti-inflammatories and analgesic, no? And that's it.
"The physio just tried to relax a little bit the muscle there. But it's difficult. Nothing can be fixed when you have a thing like this."
But there's never been a try, try and try-again merchant in tennis quite like Nadal and, despite his woes, he somehow found a way to fight back into the match from a set down twice, before summoning his best tennis in the decisive champions tiebreak.
It seemed fitting, somehow, that this minor miracle should happen 14 years from the very day he beat Roger Federer in a match enshrined as Wimbledon's greatest.
Nadal reckoned he couldn't believe he was still here all these years later - and neither could anyone else.
When asked on court about the Kyrgios match, there was a chorus of pantomime boos when the Australian's name was mentioned but an unsmiling Nadal said: "First thing, I hope to be ready to play ...
"Nick is a great player, but specially here on grass - it's going to be a big challenge. I'm going to have to be at 100 per cent."
But Nadal has shown he doesn't have to be 100 per cent to still be a dream wrecker.
"Honestly, it hurts probably worse than any loss I've ever had," sighed Fritz.
Kyrgios has been warned ...
