Brandon Nakashima drafted into Team World for Laver Cup as No.1 player withdraws
ATPThursday, 17 September 2026 at 17:30
There has been a late change to the lineups ahead of the Laver Cup, which kicks off in a week's time. Team World has been heavily dented, with Ben Shelton forced to pull out of the event with Brandon Nakashima a late call-up ahead of his debut.
The Laver Cup was just one too many tournaments for the American No.1 who will be disappointed not to be competing at the O2 in London. The highest-ranked player outside of Europe, the World No.4 was hopeful of leading his team to consecutive triumphs.
Nevertheless, his schedule has been so busy as of late that something needed to be sacrificed, and the Laver Cup is the one put on the chopping block. Shelton reached the final of the US Open a couple of weeks following his heroic Canadian Open title triumph.
He had defeated the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe in a gruelling two weeks on court in New York, and in the end it would end in defeat with Alexander Zverev managing to get over the finishing line victorious, preventing Shelton from clinching a maiden major title.
Only days later, the 23-year-old was in Prague ahead of the Davis Cup qualifier tie against the Czech Republic. With Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul recently pulling out of the event, Shelton is the USA's biggest hope against the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik and will need to be at his best to help his country advance.
With the Asian swing also on the horizon, it seems like a sensible decision to sacrifice one of the tournaments.
Team World roster update.
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 17, 2026
World no. 16 Brandon Nakashima will join Team World in London, replacing American Ben Shelton.
Nakashima will make his Laver Cup debut after a strong hard court season on his way to a career high ATP ranking 🎾#LaverCup #TennisUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/GYZ1xa8qqq
Nakashima steps up to the task
In his place comes Nakashima, who enjoyed an unbelievable North American hardcourt swing. He lost to Shelton in the Canadian Open final before backing that up with a semi-final run in Cincinnati. He would only reach the second round of the US Open, disappointingly dumped out by fellow American Alex Michelsen.
This has given him plenty of time to rest, and he has been fortunate enough to be called up to Team World to make his debut at the Laver Cup.
Brandon Nakashima will get his chance at the Laver Cup thanks to Ben Shelton withdrawing
“I’m really excited to be making my Laver Cup debut in London,” Nakashima said. “It’s an event I’ve always dreamed of playing, and I can’t wait to be part of Team World, competing alongside the guys and playing for Andre and Pat. Looking forward to getting to The O2 and doing everything I can to help the team.”
He will be joining Alex de Minaur, Fritz, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien and Francisco Cerundolo on Team World. Cerundolo was also a late replacement for the injured-stricken Paul.
They will have a very tough time against Team Europe who are led by Alcaraz and Zverev. Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Casper Ruud return with Rafael Jodar making his debut.
Read also
Team Europe
Captain: Yannik Noah
| Player | ATP Ranking | 2026 appearance |
| Alexander Zverev | No. 2 | 7th |
| Carlos Alcaraz | No. 3 | 3rd |
| Flavio Cobolli | No. 7 | 2nd |
| Rafael Jódar | No. 14 | Debut |
| Jakub Menšík | No. 15 | 2nd |
| Casper Ruud | No. 18 | 6th |
Team World
Captain: Andre Agassi
| Player | ATP Ranking | 2026 appearance |
| Alex de Minaur | No. 9 | 5th |
| Taylor Fritz | No. 10 | 6th |
| Learner Tien | No. 13 | Debut |
| Brandon Nakashima | No. 16 | Debut |
| Alexander Bublik | No. 17 | Debut |
| Francisco Cerúndolo | No. 23 | 4th |
While an exhibition event with a whole lot of team camaraderie, it is still fiercely competed with the players, cherishing the coveted title for their part of the world. The event will be played out from September 25-27.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- This child is just too fragile. Step away from tennis for a year. Get healthy, get fit; train hard;ranking be damned, and come back as strong contender. Anisimova did it. So can Emma.Rapunzel17-09-2026
- Double standards, what can be said!? Venus is p**ing on media and public. Can't face defeat. Cowerdness! Shouldn't be given any other wild cards ever. That's gross disrespect.DragosJacob16-09-2026
- Anywhere is better than Saudi Arabia!DaveyWavey16-09-2026
- He'd be a perfect coach for Rafael Jodar.DaveyWavey16-09-2026
- This financial 'chump-change' means nothing to Saba. Her vacuity likely cannot fathom the "problem" with her unprofessional actions and reactions in general. The racquet smash is not my focus. My focus was/is on her distasteful, totally unprofessional, disgusting facial expressions and eye-rolls while standing behind Elena as she spoke on the podium. This woman needs a degree of therapy for her True Attitude(s). She is not fooling anyone within the WTA circles with her post-match winner "humor" and smiley behavior. Her True Self comes out when losing a set/match and as a runner-up on the podium.
mandoist16-09-2026 - When will this repetitive "news" and wishful thinking stop?mandoist16-09-2026
- WTA has been unfairly ignoring Elena ever since Wimbledon. Arguably biased against her. Same with the most major sponsors whom normally pounce on the Wimbledon Winners for sponsorship. Didn't happen. Her unfair treatment was always in Lena's subconcious; how she was largely ignored after Wimbledon. Her sister helped her a lot during that period. Next came illnesses and minor injury. A lot of time was lost, and physical (mental?) issues were frequent, as she fought through the absurdiy and general nonsense brought-on by her coach/partner. He was a Loser then, he's a Loser still. Although he has lowered his attitude, volume, and non-stop yapping from the box since he wore the organizations out with his non-stop legal letters begging for mercy and ultimately fully reinstated. Rybakina deserves all the accolades others have enjoyed and more for her strength and will to succeed. Hope it continues.mandoist15-09-2026
- Ball bouncing is not that extreme but... ...they can eliminate the time-wasting walks back & forth to the Towel Bin between serves!!! That's just plain ridiculous to see some of them take minimum 30 seconds between every serve to shuffle over to their towel bin, dab their face, or wipe their handle. "Toweling-off" is an obvious time waster.mandoist15-09-2026
- Raducan'tdo and the media's love affair with her may be due to her looks. Since she does nothing for tennis, what else is going on with the 'love'?? She is best at maintaining a "presence" via anti-Social Media and maintaining her sponsorships.mandoist14-09-2026
- As soon as someone makes a statement like this we are all waiting for the inevitable outcome of the EXACT OPPOSITE!!! He’s got a lot of work to do if you’re both the fitness AND mental coach and your client loses her mind when she’s losing.DaveyWavey14-09-2026
Loading