Nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Grand Slam tournament on Friday, citing an injury to his left wrist.
The left-handed Spaniard wore a blue brace on his wrist during what he called "one of the toughest press conferences in my career."
Nadal, who owns a total of 14 Grand Slam titles, said he would not even have tried to compete at any other tournament with the injury, "but it's the most important event of the year for me."
He won his second-round match in straight sets Thursday, playing after getting an injection to numb the pain in his wrist.
But he said that he began "to feel more and more pain" overnight and could not move his wrist much Friday morning. Nadal added that he can no longer practice and wouldn't have been able to finish the tournament.
He said the problem is with the tendon sheath in his wrist and was told that there is no way he could be given five more painkilling injections — one before each possible match, were he to make it all the way to the final — over the next 10 days.
Murray, stan advance
After a pair of five-setters, Andy Murray made it through to the fourth round of the French Open in only three. The second-seeded Murray, who spent more than seven hours on court in the first two rounds, beat Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) Friday.
Milos Raonic also advanced, overcoming an aching hip to beat 133rd-ranked "lucky loser" Andrej Martin of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3.
In the women's draw, Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep and Samantha Stosur all made it through to the fourth round. But two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova lost to Shelby Rogers 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-0.
After two flawless rounds, Kei Nishikori dropped two sets en route to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Fernando Verdasco.
Richard Gasquet is into the fourth round after the ninth-seeded French player beat Nick Kyrgios 6-2, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
After a rough start, defending champion Stan Wawrinka is finding his mojo at the French Open. The third-seeded hit 36 winners in a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory against Jeremy Chardy that advanced him to the fourth round.
Meanwhile, India's leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna sailed into the men's doubles third round with their respective partners.
Sixth seeds Bopanna and Florian Mergea defeated the French pair of Gregoire Barrere and Quentin Halys 6-3 6-4 in the second round.
Paes, playing with Polish partner Marcin Matkowski beat the Austrian-German combine of Julian Knowle and Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-3.