When Rafael Nadal announced he would not be competing in the 2024 edition of the Laver Cup – scheduled to be held in Berlin this weekend – his fans were very worried. The presence of the Spanish legend in the prestigious event created by Roger Federer had been announced long ago and no one thought that the 22-time Grand Slam champion would give up an exhibition.

The former world number 1 did not explain exactly why he did so, claiming that he had not suffered any more injuries and trying to reassure his many fans. The 14-time French Open champion is expected to compete in the ‘Six Kings Slam‘ next month, but at this point it’s hard to say for sure when Rafa will return to the court.

Some insiders believe that Nadal may play the Davis Cup Finals in November, but he would need to play a few competitive matches in these months to achieve his best form. The legend of Manacor did not achieve any brilliant results in 2024 and his level seemed very far from the standards required for a player of his caliber.

Fans await his decision

Rafa was eliminated in the first round at the French Open and in the second round at the Paris Olympics, although the Olympic tournament was played on his favourite surface. Due to injuries in recent years, the Spaniard has decided to miss both the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open.

Nadal’s future is uncertain at the moment and the possibility of a retirement is beginning to circulate with increasing insistence. Spanish captain of Davis Cup David Ferrer has given fans a boost by revealing that the 22-time Slam champion may be available for the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Ferrer’s suggestion remains but it is not a solution to be excluded considering the break period that Nadal respected at the end of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, where he played both singles and doubles with Carlos Alcaraz.

Garbine Muguruza experienced a similar situation and announced her retirement last April. “Rafa is ready for retirement, as are his body and mind. It’s also time to enjoy his son. I see him smiling all the time when he’s with him. I think: ‘Why are you still playing. Go home, take the boat, enjoy Mallorca’. She gave everything she had to give to tennis,” explained the former Spanish player in words reported by tennis.com. Rafa is rather shy, it’s not easy to know him. We talked a bit at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, but I didn’t ask him anything personal”. Speaking of her new life, Muguruza added: “I was ready too. Life sent me signals, especially on a physical level. I was excited to live the next chapter. I thought I would spend more time at home, but actually I travel a lot. But I’m playing comfortably: without 55 rackets. I’m happy, I’m doing everything that I couldn’t do before. I spend a lot of time with my loved ones”.

Fans were hoping to see Rafa again at the Laver Cup, where he had some memorable moments in recent years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had played his first double alongside Federer in 2017 and had been in the last match played by the Swiss in 2022, breaking down in tears during the tribute to his eternal rival in London.

An amazing legacy

Before the start of the 2024 edition, Team Europe’s captain Bjorn Borg paid tribute to Rafa: “He has a wonderful personality, he is one of my favorite players, I have watched him for many years in many games… it was a pleasure to have him for several years in TeamEurope in this Laver Cup. I remember that at the time many people said that nobody would beat my record at Roland Garros, but for me it was always clear that records are to be beaten, this is sport. We will never see a player so good on clay again,” he explained.

Finally, Borg spoke about the perhaps most iconic moment of recent years, the moving hug between Nadal Roger Federer on the day of the Swiss’s farewell: “We all knew that Roger would end his career, but I was very surprised that Rafa cried so much next to him. At that moment I thought: will Rafa play again? Seeing him cry shows how much Roger meant to him, the two shared fantastic matches, gave us an incredible tennis.” The former world number 1 had assured that 2024 would be his last year, especially after the difficulties of the past seasons. Some fans hope that the Spanish legend can play some tournaments in 2025.