From the beginning of his career, Nadal was a trendsetter.
Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest tennis players in history, has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
The outcome dealt a harsh blow to Medvedev, who is now the first player to lose two Grand Slam finals from two sets up.
He last played an official tournament in October and underwent surgery in January.
Rafael Nadal finished his ATP finals campaign on a positive note on Thursday as he snapped a four-match losing streak with a victory over Casper Ruud.
Next up for Tiafoe is a quarter-final showdown with Russian Andrey Rublev.
Nadal’s withdrawal comes just over three weeks before the U.S. Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows.
The withdrawal has therefore put paid to his hopes of completing a rare calendar year Grand Slam.
He booked his spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a commanding 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 win against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Medvedev, a runner-up Sunday at the Dutch tournament in Rosmalen, dethroned Novak Djokovic.
