Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has confirmed his participation in the upcoming Laver Cup, adding fuel to speculation that this year might be his last on the professional circuit. This will be the seventh edition of the Laver Cup tournament, scheduled to take place in Berlin in September.
“At this stage in my career I really want to go out there and make the most of every opportunity I am given,” Nadal said in a statement. “Teaming up is always an incredible experience and I have always enjoyed it, the competition is different and exciting. I’m looking forward to going to Berlin and helping Team Europe win back the Laver Cup.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will join fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev for Team Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg.
Could Laver Cup 2024 be the last dance for Nadal?
Nadal’s participation in the upcoming Laver Cup adds another layer of intrigue to the prestigious team event. This will be Nadal’s fourth appearance at the Laver Cup, following Prague in 2017, Geneva in 2019, and most recently, London in 2022.
The parallels between Nadal and Federer’s situations are hard to ignore. Just as Federer used the Laver Cup as his final competitive hurrah, Nadal’s comments about potentially retiring this year suggest the Berlin tournament could be his last dance as well. Fans will be eager to witness Nadal take to the court one last time, potentially mirroring Federer’s farewell at the same event in 2022.
