“Can you explain to us what forced you to give up?
It’s the back. I’ll have to take some tests to find out exactly what’s going on. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t finish the match. It’s a shame I didn’t give up my place to another player but the doctors I’ve seen countless times over the last few days gave me the green light to play and told me to trust my sensations. I did what I could to be ready for this match but it didn’t work. I hate giving up. It kills me to leave the tournament like that. I had done everything to qualify and be in good shape for this Masters.
“I have exceeded my limits
Did you not feel anything alarming during training or warm-up?
I’ve been training for the last few days. But I spent the least amount of time on the court to preserve my strength. I was a little embarrassed in my movements. And when you can’t move well, it’s hard to be competitive. It’s tennis, not darts. And the pain was very strong. I’ve had pain during matches before and I was able to get over it, but this was clearly too much for me and I had to make this difficult decision. The pain arrived in the second game, but from the warm-up, I was not at my best in serving. I was starting to tell myself that I might not be able to make it to the end of the match.
Do you have any idea of the nature of your injury?
The circuit is very demanding on the bodies. All year round, you have to play at high intensity. There is not an easy match, or very rarely. I think it’s the result of a lack of rest. I didn’t give my body enough time to properly prepare for big tournaments. I play a lot, I try to earn the most points, to improve my ranking. I’ve exceeded my limits, I think. I think it’s the amalgamation of all that. »
