“Right Move” Team USA Vice-captain Patrick McEnroe opens up after Rafael Nadal pulls out of Laver Cup
American legend Patrick McEnroe has supported Rafael Nadal for making the right move by withdrawing from the Laver Cup.
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Rafael Nadal and Patrick McEnroe (via X/Sky Sports)
Team USA vice-captain Patrick McEnroe has admitted that Rafael Nadal made the right move by withdrawing from the 2024 Laver Cup. Nadal has yet to play a professional match since the Paris Olympics, which was his last career Summer Games.
Nadal has struggled to be fit for the tournament and has not been at his best since his hip surgery in 2023. This year, there were expectations that he would compete in most events, but that hasn’t been the case. He missed out on the Australian Open after his comeback at the Brisbane International. He didn’t play any match after January until April at the Barcelona Open.
Despite not having the best run on clay, which has been the best surface in his career, he looked a better player at the Nordea Open. At the Nordea Open, he reached the final, losing to Nuno Borges, before heading to the Paris Olympics. After a disappointing Summer Games outing, he skipped the US Open.
Nadal recently withdrew from the Laver Cup stating he is not in the position to win anything. Patrick McEnroe has supported his decision to withdraw from the Laver Cup because of his struggles on indoor hard courts.
Minutes after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the 2024 Laver Cup, I spoke to Team USA vice-captain Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) to get his reaction.
— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) September 13, 2024
He told me Nadal made the "right move."
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Knowing where he’s at and knowing what he’s been struggling with, I think it was the right move. Indoor hard court is always the surface that he struggled the most on, not just from a game standpoint, but also with his body with the stopping and starting.Patrick McEnroe said via Front Office Sports
Team Europe has already announced that Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov will replace Nadal. He will be joined by Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The tournament runs from September 20 to 22.
Rafael Nadal has yet to commit to playing at any event after Laver Cup withdrawal
Rafael Nadal has revealed that he is not in the position to commit to playing any event after his Laver Cup withdrawal. The 38-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. However, he seems to be struggling with fitness in the recent past and is yet to retire.
He has remained ambiguous about when he will hang up his racket despite withdrawing from several tournaments this season. He even withdrew from the US Open and is yet to reveal which tournament he will play next.
Mentally I’m good, no problems. 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.Rafael Nadal said via TennisUptodate
Nadal’s last singles match was a straight set loss against Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Paris Olympics. He has struggled to play his usual style this season and is greatly missed by the sport
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Victor Okechukwu
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