Rafael Nadal is set to play his first tennis event at the Laver Cup after sitting out of the US Open.
A moving 2022 Laver Cup saw Roger Federer hit his last professional tennis ball in an epic final doubles match.
Partnering Rafael Nadal, the pair teared up as Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe won a two-hour 12 minute battle to slightly disrupt the fairytale ending for Federer.
Two years on, Nadal is set to lead Team Europe into the 2024 Laver Cup after an injury-hampered season on tour.
Nadal has not scored a single win at the Grand Slams this year, with his sole major appearance at the French Open ending in defeat to eventual finalist and Team Europe teammate Alexander Zverev.
After a thrilling Olympics outing saw the Spaniard joined by Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal decided to pull out of the US Open.
Having later confirmed his Laver Cup appearance, Team Europe, who were thumped 13-2 last year, have formed a far strong team this year with four of the top ten set to feature.
Stefanos Tsitsipas describes Rafael Nadal as ‘incredible athlete’ ahead of 2024 Laver Cup
Stefanos Tsitsipas has endured a tough season, with a drop in both performance and ranking casting a shadow over what might live to be a career of unfulfilled potential.
However, having missed last year’s Laver Cup, the Greek is back and has revealed his excitement at joining Nadal on the team.
Full of praise for the 38-year-old, Tsitsipas said: “He’s a very competitive person. You can see that it’s in his nature. It’s engraved within him.
“I think that’s what makes him such an incredible athlete: his fighting nature and the way he competes on the court,” the world number 12 continued. “He has a great team spirit, which was obvious from the very beginning, from the very first point that was played.
“He was really involved within the [Laver Cup] team and he was bringing all the energy and whenever it was necessary for us to try and accumulate all that extra strength that we had within us to try and deliver for the team. Definitely a very team-oriented person and a great athlete to watch live. I experienced him outside of the court, but also inside of the court,” Tsitsipas explained on the official Laver Cup site.
A challenging US Open saw Tsitsipas beaten by Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is set to make his debut for Team World in two week’s time.
Is Rafael Nadal preparing to retire at the Laver Cup?
As soon as the 22-time major champion announced his US Open withdrawal, Nadal fans speculated he was set to retire at the Laver Cup.
The 38-year-old has battled through a heavily-fractured year, dealing with countless injuries throughout.
Quizzed constantly at the Olympics over his presumed upcoming tennis departure, Nadal angrily shut down retirement rumours immediately.
Nadal couldn’t answer if he’d played his last match on Phillipe-Chatrier after his Olympics exit, which unfortunately further added to the unwanted retirement discourse.
While it’s clear that Nadal would love to bow out at his beloved Roland Garros, time and fitness is starting to stack up against him.
Andy Murray’s Wimbledon outing initially under delivered as British tennis fans mourned his final appearance. However just a month later, a dream Olympic doubles run allowed Murray a far more fitting send-off.
With Federer having called it quits at the Laver Cup, it could also live to be Nadal’s final outing.
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