Nadal’s Laver Cup Withdrawal Alarms Former World No. 2

Former ATP player Alex Corretja shared his surprise over Rafael Nadal‘s decision to withdraw from the Laver Cup.

Nadal had consistently said he would play in the 2024 Laver Cup and then decide his next steps. He repeated this goal several times recently.

However, a few days ago, Nadal announced he wouldn’t attend the event after all.

It was shocking because reports indicated that Nadal had been training since the Olympics and seemed ready to play. Yet, his withdrawal suggests otherwise.

Surprising Withdrawal

The truth might be somewhere in between, but we can only go by what Nadal says and does. Corretja was taken aback because playing at the Laver Cup seemed logical to him.

Corretja thought it was a relaxed competition where Nadal could test himself without much pressure. But Nadal chose not to participate, which puzzled Corretja, who spoke about it on Eurosport.

“I was really surprised because I thought the Laver Cup was a more relaxed competition,” Corretja said. “Although once they’re there, the teams always want to win.”

Fans might wonder if this means bigger issues for Nadal’s future games. If he’s not ready for something like the Laver Cup, what else can he compete in this year?

Nadal confirmed these worries when he admitted having no goals left for this year. It sounds like he’s saying he won’t play anything else without directly stating it.

Ultimately, Corretja hopes Nadal recovers well so fans can see him back on court when he’s ready again.

“When I read yesterday that he wasn’t going to compete,” Corretja added, “I was a little alarmed: if he’s not ready for the Laver Cup, when will he be?”

One interesting thing to watch is what happens with Nadal in October. He’s set to compete at an exhibition tournament in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season 2024.

Since Nadal signed up as a tennis ambassador in Saudi Arabia earlier, he’ll likely be there somehow. Whether or not he’ll play remains uncertain.

What do you think about all this?