Rafael Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup due to ‘personal reasons’ – report
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2020 Laver Cup due to ‘personal reasons’, according to a report in a Dutch newspaper.
Nadal is yet to confirm the reason for his withdrawal.
According to the Dutch daily Het Laatste Nieuws, Nadal had asked to be excused from team competing in the annual tournament.
He will attend on the sidelines with his coach, who also remains unnamed but is widely speculated to have been Franco Berardi.
The former world No. 1 had pulled out of his last three matches as a precaution over the winter months, but had been back on track in February.
The two men are widely regarded as the top coach and player for the remainder of their careers and the tournament would have been a rare chance to meet in the flesh and test the talent of two men the world has long called as the greatest players of all time.
“I’m sorry for the tournament, but this is personal,” Nadal said in a statement posted on his Twitter account, adding he will be able to compete at the event when it happens in a few weeks.
“The situation is under control and I’m very excited about reaching the final of the tournament.
“I would like to wish my team good luck and all my fans a lot of love.”
Nadal is the first major-ranking French player to withdraw from a major tournament of the season.
French players usually withdraw from the Laver Cup with the country’s other big names, but the news is nonetheless a surprise with Nadal having been competing in the highest-level events of this season.
He was expected to defend his title at the Dubai Duty Free Classic, which he is due to make this weekend, but that event has been cancelled.
The news comes on the back of a tumultuous few weeks for Nadal, who announced his retirement from
