Rafael Nadal 'not in a position' to commit to future tournaments following Laver Cup withdrawal

Published 13/09/2024 at 10:00 GMT

Rafael Nadal has opened up about his upcoming plans following his withdrawal from the 2024 Laver Cup. In his initial statement, the Spaniard had appeared to admit he wasn't in the right condition for the Berlin event, stating he needed "to do what’s best" for his Team Europe team-mates. Now he has said that he has "no problems", but stopped short of committing to any tournaments.

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Rafael Nadal says he is "not in a position" to commit to any tournaments in the short-term, as the Spaniard opened up on his plans following his withdrawal from the Laver Cup.

Nadal shared news that he wouldn't appear in Berlin on Thursday, stating that "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, whose last competitive appearance on court came at the Paris Olympics alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the men's doubles, then spoke further on Thursday night about his condition and the reasoning behind his decision.

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“Mentally I’m good, no problems," Nadal said at the opening of the 'Espacio Movistar' in Madrid.

"I’m at home, enjoying other things, training as much as I can every day.

“No drama, obviously these are decisions [the Laver Cup withdrawal] that are being made, and this was a possibility - it’s been a while without competing. There will be someone else who can do better.”

Nadal was also asked if he has any plans to play any tournaments in the short-term, to which he responded: “Right now I’m not in a position to put myself down for anything.

"I said [I would play] until the Olympics and then we would see, and I’m in that period of rest.”

Nadal has had a difficult 2024 which has seen him play just 21 competitive singles matches, with a win/loss record of 13-8.

He featured in just two slams - the Australian Open and the French Open - with just one win to his name, a first-round victory over Jack Draper in Melbourne back in January.