Rafael Nadal, whose return to competition was scheduled for the Laver Cup held from 20 to 22 September in Berlin, has decided to skip the event founded by Roger Federer. The Spanish tennis player motivated with the fact that this is a team competition and to truly support the Europe team I have to do what is best for them, explaining how at this moment there are other players who can help the team win.
After the official announcement on social media, Nadal took part in the inauguration of the Movistar Space in Madrid. And journalists asked the tennis player from Manacor to go into more detail about his absence linked to the lack of a competitive level for the team.
Nadal went into detail about his absence denying any physical or other problems.
“Not being at the Laver Cup is not a drama. These are decisions that one makes and this was a clear possibility. I haven’t competed for a long time, I’m convinced that there will be another player who will do better than me. I’m mentally fine, I enjoy other things at home. No problems, I train what I can every day,” he said.
Nadal would be registered for the Six Kings Slam exhibition scheduled in Saudi Arabia on October 16-17 and 19 but he has not committed himself to his presence even if he has a strong relationship with the country of which he is an ambassador for the Federation.
“At the moment I am not able to leave my mark. I said that I would play until the Paris Olympics and then we would see what happens. Now I’m in that rest period,” said the Spaniard.
Rafa recently posted a series of photos on social media in which he trained in his academy on hard courts. However, this has not allowed him to reach an acceptable physical shape to return to play. It is not clear whether there will be other official events in which Nadal will participate by the end of 2024: one hypothesis could be the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, in the event that Spain secures the qualification.
Rafa’s absence from the Laver Cup and the hesitation on the Six King Slam suggests that 2024 could really be the year of the Spaniard’s retirement. For now, Nadal has not confirmed or denied anything: last May the Spanish champion had said he could still play in Rome in 2025, leaving a door open for next season, but the signs that can be seen on the horizon seem to point towards retirement.
