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In A Briefly-Scary Moment, Rafa Nadal Cramps Up In The Interview Room

Athletes cramp up all the time. Whether they’re having to exert especially heavily or they’re not in top condition for whatever reason, they’re a generally-accepted part of sports. Those cramps, though, usually don’t happen in the interview room.

An odd moment during Rafael Nadal’s post-match press conference today changed that. Nadal had recently finished off David Nalbandian in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 7-5, when CBS cut to him in the interview room, slouched down in his chair with his eyes closed, clearly not feeling like himself. It was unsettling to see: initially, it wasn’t clear what was wrong with Nadal, just that something unusual (and not in a good way) was happening.

Thankfully, though, he appeared to be okay. Nadal was later seen standing up in the room, drinking a water, smiling…and hopefully, fully ready to continue his U.S. Open title defense.