Rafael Nadal withdraws from Laver Cup due to ‘personal reasons’
The Australian Open champion, 22-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and world number one, withdrew from the Laver Cup on Tuesday for what he termed “personal reasons”.
Nadal, who was competing in the Brisbane International, said he would serve his suspension, which will begin on Monday, in order to play the event in the third round.
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International on Tuesday for what he called “personal reasons”. (Getty)
However, his withdrawal from the tournament means that the third-round doubles pairing of Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic will have to sit out.
“I didn’t want to risk my health, which is an important part of the game that I want to practice for the rest of my life,” Nadal said in a statement on Tuesday.
“In order to make it easier for me to deal with the decision I made, I asked my coaching staff to organise an alternative match on Saturday,” Nadal added.
“I would like to be on the court again, but in its place I will serve my suspension beginning from the third round of the Australian Open as I will continue to fight for my place on the top 100 ranking rankings.”
The 28-year-old, who is currently ranked second in the world behind world number three Andy Murray, has not made it past the first week of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2012.
Nadal had no problem fulfilling his obligations as he will serve his suspension and be present at his own Brisbane International.
He tweeted about his move out of the tournament, asking his fans to tweet him if there were any questions about his “personal reasons”.
“I would also like to thank my sponsors and the Laver Cup organisers for being so understanding,” he added.
“We all deal with situations in life, and I’m sure that all of you will understand that I am doing this as a way to improve my game.
“During my career, you’ll sometimes have that one chance to really push yourself. This will certainly be my one chance to do so.”
There will be at least one person out of the Australian Open Grand Slam semi-final