Carlos Alcaraz reacts to Rafael Nadal pulling out of Laver Cup

Spain’s young tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has revealed his disappointment after hearing the news of the former world number one Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Laver Cup. The 38-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns in the later stages of his career. Because of this, he spent nearly 12 months on the sidelines in 2023 and missed three out of the four Grand Slams. During that time, the Spaniard announced that he would retire at the end of the 2024 season.

Nadal returned to the court earlier this year but has failed to continue producing results. The former world number one earlier announced that he would skip the recently concluded US Open to take part in the Laver Cup. However, on Thursday, the 14-time French Open winner announced that he would not take part in the Laver Cup either because he did not feel fit enough to be a part of the two-team competition.

Alcaraz, who himself is regarded as one of the best players currently playing men’s tennis along with Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, has recently been quoted in a report where he expressed disappointment over the development. The 21-year-old, who partnered Nadal in the Paris Olympics doubles category, stated that he was really looking forward to sharing the locker room once again with the legendary tennis players.

"It would have been super special to repeat here in Berlin. When they gave the team and I saw that Rafa was coming, I was really excited to share the locker room with him once again. Here at the Laver Cup, we are all much closer together and it would have been a unique experience. I am going to miss him and I hope he returns to the courts soon when he feels well. I hope we meet at some tournament soon."