Rafael Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup due to ‘personal reasons’
Rafael Nadal made his first appearance at the WTA’s annual all-sister competition on Sunday, but just 11 hours later, the world No. 1 announced in a statement on Instagram that he had “left” Laver Cup due to “personal reasons” and would miss the rest of the championships on Tuesday in Paris.
Nadal’s withdrawal from the Laver Cup was not surprising, given his health and recent run of health problems. The Spaniard was already considered a prime candidate for the 2020 Olympics, in which he has qualified to play, but he has always struggled in the post-season and was not able to qualify for next month’s tournament after losing in the last round at Indian Wells in February.
The world No. 1 also withdrew from the Miami Open, the French Open and the Australian Open at the end of the season. A statement on his website in April said that he had “problems after the break due to the fact that I had too much physical activity and it was not enough time to recover and train”.
This time, his team said he had a high fever on Thursday, the day before Laver Cup, and had been diagnosed with a virus. In the same statement, the Rio de Janeiro club also said he was undergoing tests, but there were no further explanations.
“I am sorry that I didn’t know I had an illness until I got the news from the medical team of Laver Cup,” he said. “I also have to say I’m sorry that I put my own health at risk and I’d like to apologise to all those I have disappointed.”
Nadal had been taking part in the WTA Finals series in Miami, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Simona Halep, but he had also not been able to qualify for the clay court tournament, where Laver Cup is held. He had not been able to play at all the previous season in part due to various health complaints. He has, however, remained contracted until 2020 with