Nadal 'Not In Position To Set Goals' As He Sheds More Light On Laver Cup Withdrawal

Saturday, 14 September 2024 at 04:07

byZachary Wimer

Rafael Nadal won't be playing at the 2024 Laver Cup, and he expanded a bit on that decision during an event he attended back home in Spain.

Nadal announced that he wouldn't be playing at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin only days before the event is set to begin on September 20th, despite confirming that he would a couple of times in the weeks before.

After his Olympics exit, Nadal confirmed that he would play at the 2024 Laver Cup and see what would happen after that. Most of his fans assumed that he would call time on his season after the Laver Cup, even though some hinted at Nadal possibly retiring at the event.

Roger Federer's retirement at the event two years ago made many people believe that Nadal would mirror him in that way. It won't happen because Nadal won't even be at the event in Berlin.

An announcement from the Laver Cup organizers confirmed that Nadal has withdrawn from the event due to his inability to play. The news itself is not great because his career is already in limbo.

The Spaniard didn't say much in that press release, but he expanded on his choice to withdraw during an event in Madrid after the announcement came.

"I’m really disappointed to share that I won’t be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week. This is a team competition and 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 expands on withdrawing from Laver Cup<br>

He once again confirmed his disappointment that he couldn't play, but the decision made sense as it ultimately helped the team get closer to a win.

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He also confirmed once more that he was not in a position to set any kind of career goals. He's not retired yet, but there isn't a goal he's chasing. He's simply taking it day by day and working towards getting into a position where he could compete again.

"I'm not in a position to set any goals right now. I said I would play until the 2024 Paris Olympics and then we'd see, and I'm in that time of rest. Mentally, I'm fine. No problems."

"I'm at home enjoying other things and training as much as I can every day. These are decisions that are being made and it was a possibility. I have not competed for a while. There will be another player who will do better."

It was a very sensible decision that made the most sense for the 38-year-old at the time of making. It can be a bad sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean that he's nearing retirement, as some have suggested in recent weeks.

In recent months, Nadal's situation has been very fluid and changes daily. Unfortunately, there is no prediction of what might happen in the future.