Tennis great Rafael Nadal won’t compete at Laver Cup in Berlin next week, organizers announced on Thursday, with the Spanish superstar saying he was “really disappointed” to withdraw from the team event. Nadal had been scheduled to play alongside German world number two Alexander Zverev and Spanish world number three Carlos Alacraz as part of Team Europe against Team World at the event held at Berlin’s Uber Arena from September 20 to 22.
“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,” Nadal was quoted as saying in a statement shared by Laver Cup on X.
“I wish Team Europe the very best of luck and will be cheering them on from afar,” the Spanish great said. Laver Cup said a replacement for Nadal would be announced soon. For 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, this is likely his last year on tour, after he hinted at plans to end his career this season. The 38-year-old has repeatedly been plagued by injury during his final phase on tour. It was initially unclear whether that was also the reason for his withdrawal from Laver Cup. (DPA)
