The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal resigned from the Laver Cupan exhibition tournament that will take place in Berlin from September 20 to 24, according to a statement from the organizers on Thursday.
Rafa, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, 38 years old, He was already absent from the recent US Openafter being eliminated by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the tournament Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“I am very disappointed not to be able to play the Laver Cup next week in Berlin,” Nadal was quoted as saying in the statement. “It is a team competition and to really support Team Europe I have to give my best and there are currently other players who can help us win,” he said.
Injured at the Australian Open in January 2023, Nadal was sidelined for almost a year and has so far failed to regain his former form, hampered by a succession of physical problems. He is currently 154th in the ATP rankings.
Nadal’s replacement will be announced shortly, the organizers said.
The Laver Cup pits European tennis players against rivals from the rest of the world. Created in 2017 at the initiative of Roger Federer, it was at this tournament that the Swiss star played the last match of his career, in a doubles match with Nadal in 2022.
Nadal’s next scheduled engagement is the “Six Kings Slam,” an exhibition tournament scheduled for October in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Ambito
