Alex de Minaur and Tommy Paul won't be playing at the 2024 Laver Cup, having withdrawn from the event due to injuries as Francisco Cerundolo and Thanasi Kokkinakis are set to replace them.
Team World lost some of their best players due to injuries, as de Minaur and Paul won't be playing at the competition in Berlin this year. Both players have played at the Laver Cup in the past and have had decent showings.
However, this year, they've been among some of the best players in the world. Both de Minaur and Paul have taken steps forward as players, but unfortunately, injuries are something that can never be discounted.
De Minaur's injury woes started at Wimbledon, when he suffered a freak hip injury that left him unable to continue his great run there. It has impacted all of his events since then.
Despite not being 100% fit, the Australian was able to find a really good level at the US Open, making his way to the second week before he was beaten by Jack Draper.
Paul also played well at the US Open, but his run was stopped by Jannik Sinner. It was in that match that the American felt his leg a bit towards the end of the match.
Both were supposed to be players Team Captain John McEnroe would heavily rely upon, but not having either one of them will be upsetting for the captain and the team as well.
Team World are the underdogs anyway due to the strong team that Team Europe is bringing. They have players like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev all playing.
It's also played in Berlin, so it's not exactly friendly territory for Team World. Both de Minaur and Paul struggle with injuries, and neither wants to risk the rest of the season for what ultimately is an exhibition event.
There will be replacements made, as John McEnroe already elected two players who will replace them. One of those is the exciting Francisco Cerundolo, who is never a boring watch.
He's not the most consistent tennis player, but Team World will take his x-factor potential. The other replacement player is Thanasi Kokkinakis, and he's earned this spot.
Very few players have put in the work the Australian has put in this year, as he played lots of matches grinding, trying to find his best tennis. He's slowly getting there, and it's great to see because this is a player who didn't play as much tennis as he would have wanted in his life, and it was due to injuries.
Now that he's finally healthy, he'll have a chance to do some damage in the German capital, and with the way he's been playing recently, there is a very good chance that he truly will.
This development is not ideal for Team World, but they will try to make the best of the situation.
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