Rafael Nadal faces uncertain future as star pulls out of Laver Cup after previously hinting that 2024 would be his final year in tennis
- Rafael Nadal has announced that he has withdrawn from the Laver Cup
- Nadal previously suggested that 2024 would be his final year in tennis
Rafael Nadal has expressed concerns about his future after announcing his withdrawal from the Laver Cup.
The 38-year-old stated that he feels that ‘there are other players who can help the team achieve victory.’
Nadal said: ‘I am very disappointed that I will not be able to participate in the Laver Cup in Berlin next week.
“This is a team competition and to really support Team Europe I have to do what is best for them. At the moment there are other players who can help the team to victory.”
Nadal’s last appearance came at the Olympic Games in Paris, where he and Carlos Alcaraz were defeated in the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles by American duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Rafael Nadal expressed concerns about his future after announcing he was withdrawing from the Laver Cup
The 38-year-old Nadal previously suggested that 2024 could be his final year in tennis
He continued: ‘I have so many fond, emotional memories of the Laver Cup competition and I was really looking forward to being with my teammates and with Bjorn (Borg) in his final year as captain.
‘I wish Team Europe the best of luck and will be cheering them on from a distance.’
Nadal has had an impressive career, winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles, including 14 French Open titles.
However, in recent years he has been struggling with injuries on a regular basis and he is currently ranked 158 in the world.
Nadal previously indicated that 2024 would be his last year in tennis.
This year he played in only one of the four majors: Roland Garros, where he was defeated in the first round by Alexander Zverev.
Nadal discussed the possibility of retiring after losing to Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympic singles tournament.
In late July he said: ‘I’m trying to look ahead. I’ve given myself until the Olympics.
Nadal stated that ‘there are other players who can help the team achieve victory’ at the Laver Cup
“When this tournament is over, I will make the necessary decisions based on my feelings and desires. It is difficult to recover when I think about whether I will retire.
‘For many people it is nonsense, I have been suffering from it for two years.
‘If I feel like I’m not competitive, then I decide to stop. I just do my best every day, try to enjoy something that I’ve enjoyed for so long.
‘I have been struggling with injuries a lot over the last two years.
“So if I feel like I’m not competitive enough to continue, or if I’m not physically ready to continue, then I’ll stop and let you know.”