Rafael Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup, sparks retirement rumours

I'm really disappointed to share that I won't be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week, says the 38-year-old

Berlin: Rafael Nadal withdrew on Thursday from next week’s Laver Cup in Berlin, leaving it unclear when the Spanish great will play again.

The Laver Cup — the tournament where Roger Federer retired in 2022 after teaming up with Nadal in doubles — would have been Nadal’s first event since the Paris Olympics and potentially one of his last ever.

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“I’m really disappointed to share that I won’t be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week,” the 38-year-old Nadal said. “This is a team competition and to really support Team Europe, I need to do what’s best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion didn’t address his current fitness after a spate of injuries in recent years, or when he might play again.

Nadal withdrew last month from the US Open, meaning he missed three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in 2024. He last played in reaching the men’s doubles quarterfinals at the Olympics, where he also lost in the second round of singles to Novak Djokovic.

The Laver Cup, to be held from September 20-22, is an indoor hard-court men’s competition pitting Team Europe against Team World in a format reminiscent of golf’s Ryder Cup. No replacement for Nadal was immediately announced.