Expert: Heat likely cause of Nadal cramp

Rafael Nadal’s bout of cramp following his victory over David Nalbandian at the US Open was likely to have been caused by dehydration and the heat at Flushing Meadows, according to a medical expert.

Nadal slumped to the floor in the press conference room yesterday, in front of the media, suffering from severe cramp.

Sammy Margo, a consultant chartered physiotherapist who has worked in professional sport, said that the warm weather in New York was likely to have been a major factor.

She said: “The background behind the causing of cramp is complex but I imagine it would mainly be brought on by dehydration in conjunction with toxins and a lack of salt.

“I have worked at games and tournaments and we always find that in high heat conditions there are many more injuries sustained, a lot of people seize up when the climate is warm.

“Also he has gone from playing to sitting – all to nothing – in a very short space of time. Adrenaline was pumping and as soon as his body calmed down he would have felt it. A solution would be to have a full cool down and a massage before entering the press conference.”

The number of withdrawals and retirements from the tournament has also posed questions about just why so many names are having to abandon their US Open hopes.

Margo suggests the expectation of playing for a prolonged period of time is the main factor behind the retirements.

“The season is really long and the players are required to push more and more,” she said.

“To be at the top they have to push their bodies and are being asked to be bigger, better and stronger than their own bodies allow.

“If they want to go this long (with the season) they need a break. It needs to have pauses for recovery. But if you’re winning you want to keep playing, however more enforced breaks would be ideal.”

A total of 16 players have withdrawn from across the men’s and women’s singles including high-profile names such as Czech Republic stars Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych as well as two-time US Open champion Venus Williams and world number 22 Yanina Wickmayer.