The Spain tennis player was talking to reporters after his third round victory at U.S. Open when he covered his face with his arm and slid from his chair as he was striken with painful leg cramp.
- September 5, 2011
AceShowbiz -
Rafael Nadal gave a scare to his supporters when he slumped to the floor in the middle of a press conference post a U.S. Open match on Sunday, September 4. He was speaking to reporters when he suddenly stopped talking and looked in pain. At one point, he even covered his face with his arm and slid from his chair.
Medical staff were called to treat Nadal while journalists were told to leave the room. According to Reuters, a trainer massaged his right leg while another man gave him ice and fluids, before he was back on his feet 10 minutes later.
Resuming the press conference, the 25-year-old tennis player downplayed the incident. "I just have cramping in my leg. That's all," he said. "I just have cramping in front and behind. That's why. It was so painful. That's all."
He added that he will train normally on Monday. "It was just a normal cramp that could have happened anywhere, but it happened in the press room. Anywhere else, nobody would have noticed," he further claimed.
Before the incident, Nadal was looking relaxed when discussing his third round match that took place earlier Sunday. He had beaten David Nalbandian and booked his place in the fourth round.
