Why did Rafael Nadal withdraw from the Laver Cup?
Rafael Nadal isn’t afraid to show vulnerability or even pull out of tournaments when he’s going through hard times.
Less than a day after Roger Federer bid his farewell at the O2 Arena in London, Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Laver Cup.
The Spanish legend said at a press conference early on Saturday that he needed to return home.
“I’m not good, I’m not good,” Nadal said. “The truth is these have been difficult weeks in that sense. Few, very few hours of sleep, a bit of stress in general, slightly more difficult situations than usual at home.
The 36-year-old added that he’s had to deal with all that, which is a different pressure than the one on the court. Luckily, Nadal was able to participate at the Laver Cup, “which for me was the most important thing,” he said.
Nadal partnered with Federer in his last professional match on Friday, losing the final doubles match to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
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The owner of the 22 Grand Slam titles has been struggling with an abdominal injury for most of the summer, causing him to pull out before his semi final at Wimbledon. He then continued to suffer with the injury after losing in the fourth round of the US Open.
Nadal lifted an unprecedented 14th French Open trophy in June, after winning the Australian Open in January.