September 12, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the upcoming Laver Cup in Berlin, tournament organisers announced on Thursday.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion cited the need to do what is best for Team Europe as his reason for pulling out of the event scheduled for 20-22 September 2024. Nadal, now 38, expressed disappointment at missing the competition, which pits a European team against a World team.
The Spanish tennis star has fond memories of previous Laver Cup appearances and was looking forward to joining his teammates under captain Bjorn Borg, who is in his final year leading the European side.
This withdrawal follows Nadal’s absence from most of the 2023 season due to a hip injury. He has participated in only one of the last seven Grand Slams, exiting in the first round of the 2023 French Open. Nadal also missed the US Open in August 2024, stating he did not feel capable of performing at his best.
The Laver Cup organisers have stated that a replacement player for Team Europe will be announced soon. Other high-profile players set to compete include Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. John McEnroe will once again captain the World team, as he has done in all six previous editions of the event.
Nadal’s next scheduled appearance is at the Six Kings Slam, an elite tennis exhibition in Saudi Arabia taking place in October 2024. Meanwhile, he will be supporting Team Europe from afar as they aim for victory in Berlin.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
