The Spanish second seed was forced to withdraw before his last four matches on Thursday Nick Kyrgios With an abdominal injury, he conceded defeat in the race.
Nadal’s withdrawal misses a blockbuster semi-final against Kyrgios, which has been on the cards since the Australian beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in a poor third-round match.
Kyrgios will have a mandatory break before Sunday’s final, while top seed Djokovic paves the way for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.
The Serbian had to come back from two sets down against the Italian 10th seed Jannik Pavi In his quarter-final on Tuesday.
But the 35-year-old even pulled off an outrageous winner while doing the splits, ending the match looking fresh.
Nick Kyrgios sends his best wishes to Rafael Nadal 🤝 #Wimbledon https://t.co/AKj1CTcT07
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) 1657226940000
Djokovic has won 26 matches at Wimbledon and is trying to tie Pete Sampras with seven titles at the All England Club — one back. Roger FedererAchievement for men.
He is also bidding to reach a 32nd Grand Slam singles final, which would put him one ahead of Federer.
If he wins the title, he will reach 21 Grand Slam titles, surpass Federer and be crowned the all-time greatest in the race behind Nadal.
British ninth seed Norrie had never advanced beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament before this year’s Wimbledon.
The 26-year-old has vowed to “take it on” Djokovic and hopes to ride the wave of home support, but he has a tough task at hand to topple the champion.
Djokovic, who defeated Norry in their previous meeting, is set for a partisan crowd.
“For him, there’s not much to lose,” he said. “Every win from now on is big for him.
“I know that. But, you know, I’ve practiced a few times. I know his game well. He’s been around. Of course I’ll do my homework and get ready.”
Kyrios kicks his feet on Friday after missing out on a repeat of his famous 2014 victory over Nadal at Wimbledon as the Spaniard got revenge.
We’re sad to see it end this way, thank you @RafaelNadal for providing unforgettable moments at The Champions… https://t.co/Hlevcxuc6d
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) 1657218221000
The Australian won her last-eight match against unseeded Chilean Christian Karin in straight sets to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Kyrgios’s tournament has been defined by his breathtaking shot-making, but also by his habitual shouting on court — including a demand that Tsitsipas be kicked out of the championship for hitting the ball into the crowd.
The 40th-ranked player has been fined a total of $14,000 and now has the added distraction of appearing in court in Australia in connection with the assault charge.
But he said he is proud to have come this far at Wimbledon.
“For the past year and a half, it’s become clear to me that I’ve lost the love, the fire, the spark, whether I want to play anymore.
“Then some things changed in my life… I rediscovered that I have a lot of people that I want to play with, that I want to play with.
“I’ve got a lot more in the tank. I feel like I’m playing some of my best tennis and feel good mentally.”
Kyrgios, who has beaten Djokovic in both meetings, will have a chance no matter who he plays on Sunday.
In the meantime he had to watch and wait.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”