Page 31 - bon-dia-aruba-20210821

A31
sports Diasabra 21 augustus 2021

Nadal out of US Open, ends

season because of injured foot

(AP) — The U.S. Open because he had two opera-
lost some more star tions on his right knee in
power Friday — Rafael 2020.
Nadal is gone, undone
by a chronic foot injury The last time Nadal en-
that will sideline him tered the tournament, in
for the rest of the sea- 2019, he won it for one of
son. his four trophies in New “It’s time”: Star goaltender Henrik
York.
His announcement fur- Lundqvist retires at 39
ther depletes the year’s The U.S. Open draw is
last major tennis tourna- next week and main draw
ment, with Roger Federer play starts Aug. 30. I had every time I took the ice in the greatest
already out as well as last (AP) — The King has called it a career.
year’s champion, Dominic Federer (40), Nadal (35) city in the world,” he wrote. “I’m extremely
grateful for what hockey has brought me and
Thiem. and Djokovic (34) have Henrik Lundqvist, one of the greatest goal-
ruled men’s tennis for tenders of his generation, announced his re- taught me in life. These lessons will never
Nadal’s absence also clears more than 15 years, domi- tirement Friday less than nine months after leave me.”
one more possible hurdle nating the sport’s most im- heart surgery. Lundqvist appeared in 887 NHL regular-sea-
for Novak Djokovic, who portant tournaments and
now resumes his bid for a swapping the No. 1 rank- “It’s time,” the 39-year-old Lundqvist wrote son games, plus another 130 in the playoffs.
calendar-year Grand Slam ing. in a social media post. “For the last 30 years, He won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s
without one of his long- I have devoted my life to the game of hockey top goalie in 2011-12 and he came close to
time rivals in the men’s Djokovic beat Nadal in the and now it’s time to walk away from the game a championship in 2014, leading the Rangers
draw at Flushing Mead- French Open semifinals I love and begin a new chapter.” to the Cup Final. He lost postseason series to
the Capitals in 2009 and 2011, then eliminat-
ows. and the Spaniard then sat
out both Wimbledon and The Swede starred for years for the New York ed them in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
“I am very sorry to an- the Olympics because of Rangers, where he piled up 459 wins along
nounce that I won’t be able fatigue. with a a 2.43 goals-against average and 64 The Rangers released a statement that ended
with the line:
to keep playing tennis dur- shutouts in 15 seasons.
ing the 2021 season,” Nad- Speaking in the video, the
al said in a video on social fourth-ranked Nadal said He is sixth in NHL history in wins, seventh “Henrik is, and always will be, a Ranger.”
media. “But, as you know, the foot pain he has been in saves (23,509), eighth in games played
I have been suffering too battling most of his career (887), ninth in starts (871), ninth in time on The team said the retirement was met with
much with my foot for the is too much. ice (51,816:51) and 17th in shutouts, accord- mixed emotions and offered the longtime
face of the organization its best wishes and
ing to the NHL.
last year now and I missed
heartfelt gratitude. It plans to retire his No.
a lot of important events “During the last year I was He also helped Sweden win gold at the 2006 30 in a ceremony at a game this season.
for me.” not able to practice and
prepare the way I need to Turin Olympics.
Federer needs knee sur- be competitive at the stan- “Henrik’s commitment to excellence made
gery and said last weekend dards I want to be,” he said. The Rangers bought out Lundqvist’s contact him one of the best goaltenders to ever play
in September 2020 and he signed a one-year, the game of hockey, and we are so fortunate
he would not play in New “The injury is nothing new.
York. Thiem said this week It is the same injury I am $1.5 million contract with the Washington to have witnessed his greatness firsthand for
15 years,” the team said.
Capitals in October. He never took the ice af-
he is ending his season af- having since 2005. In that
ter injuring his right wrist moment the doctors were ter announcing he had a heart condition. The
five-time All Star had surgery in January, but Lundqvist owns almost every record for goal-
in June. very negative about my fu-
ture career. But, honestly, I didn’t begin workouts until last month and ies in Rangers history, including victories,
Nadal, Federer and was able to have a career I became an unrestricted free agent July 28. shutouts, playoff wins and games played. He
also excelled under pressure. Lundqvist set
Djokovic share the men’s was unable to ever dream The man known as “King Henrik” was wildly an NHL record by winning six consecutive
record of 20 Grand Slam about, so I am confident I
singles titles. Djokovic, will recover again.” popular and his departure from the Rangers Game 7s, a streak later broken by the Tampa
was painful to many fans, even if it was ex-
Bay Lightning in 2015. He set an Olympic
in addition to the Grand
Slam pursuit, will now be Nadal insisted he is “going pected with Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar record for longest shutout streak (172:34) be-
Georgiev waiting in the wings. His deal with tween the 2006 and 2010 Games.
trying to move ahead of his to fight every single day”
rivals. He won the Austra- because he is convinced Washington came with the hope of Lundqvist Lundqvist, who plays guitar and has been
earning his first Stanley Cup championship.
lian Open in February, the he still has “a couple of
French Open in June and beautiful years” left in his Instead, he will head into retirement. Lun- known to play charity events with tennis great
John McEnroe, was a finalist for the NHL
Wimbledon in July. career.
dqvist said he was excited about the future Player Foundation Award in 2014-15 for his
Nadal and Federer also He won two tournaments but did not detail specific plans. work with the Garden of Dreams Foundation
in New York. His own foundation strives to
both sat out the U.S. Open this year, on clay in Barce- “There are many things I love about the game: create positive change in the lives of children
last year — Nadal because lona and Rome.
of the pandemic; Federer From the excitement I felt as an 8-year-old at and adults throughout the world through ed-
my first practice to the 15 years of butterflies ucation and health services.