Rafael Nadal will play for Team Europe at the Laver Cup for the first time since Roger Federer’s farewell in 2022 when Team World visits Berlin in September.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has just returned from injury at the Barcelona Open and will face American Darwin Blanch in the first round of the Madrid Open this week. The Laver Cup will be the legend’s final season on the tour.
The Spaniard, who indicated last year that this would be his final season on the circuit, joins a star-studded lineup for the three-day event against Team World in Berlin.
Nadal made his latest comeback from injury at the Barcelona Open last week and will take on Darwin Blanch in the first round of the Madrid Open next. He has now announced that he will pair up with the newly crowned Clay Court champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
The announcement from Nadal has already spiked massive interest among the fans, as they’ve already brought out a large number of Laver Cup tickets.
Although the former world No. 1 has hinted he could play beyond this year, the 37-year-old is expected to retire at the end of the campaign.
Nadal last played at the Laver Cup in 2022, Roger Federer’s farewell tournament, when he partnered his long-time rival in the doubles. Both men were famously in tears afterwards.
“I have some extraordinary memories from my Laver Cup experiences, including all the emotions from London two years ago playing alongside Roger for the last time,” said Nadal in a statement, who has played the event three times.
“At this stage in my career, I want to go out there and make the most of every opportunity. 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.”
Nadal joins a Team Europe squad, which includes Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev, with more to be announced.
“Rafa is an absolute legend in our sport, a true champion in every sense of the word,” said Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg.
“It’s my last year as Captain. Having him on Team Europe this year was a goal of mine, and I’m thrilled he has accepted my invitation and will be with us in Berlin. ”
Team World thumped Team Europe 13-2 during last year’s edition in Vancouver, though Borg could only count on two top-10 players: Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.
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Medvedev was on Team Europe for their last victory in 2021 in Boston – coming into it fresh from his first major title at the US Open – brushing aside Denis Shapovalov in his only singles rubber of the event.
Since then, however, Team World has embarked on a period of dominance, taking the two ensuing editions in London and Vancouver.
Although their captain, John McEnroe, has yet to start naming his team, Fritz is expected to be on the roster, especially as he currently sits at No. 9 in the ATP rankings, the highest of any Team World player.
Speaking ahead of the Laver Cup, Medvedev said: “I think what is good is that we’re playing in Berlin. If we were playing in Washington or New York or somewhere, I would say guys like Frances [Tiafoe], Tommy [Paul], and Ben Shelton, when they are playing in the US, they’re extremely dangerous in front of their home crowd. That’s what we saw last year in Canada [when Team World won 13-2].
“I’m someone who, in a way, goes by the rankings.
“I always said that for me, Taylor has a fantastic all-round game; it’s tough to play him.
“He has a great serve and great strokes, and he’s defending better than people think. For the moment, sometimes in later stages of Grand Slams, as we saw with Novak [Djokovic, at the Australian Open], maybe here and there at the end of the set he can give [away] some points.”
The last time Medvedev appeared in the blue of Europe in 2021 seems like a different era, with players still donning masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner far away from the status they now enjoy near the very top of the game.
Fans were restricted from buying Laver Cup tickets that year, and it was confusing to play without an audience.
Medvedev has also become a father since then, and he reflected on the on- and off-court changes he has experienced in the intervening period. He said: “If we talk about players, there are so many young guys that came in, especially Carlos, Jannik and Holger [Rune].
“At the time, Carlos had just made a big run at the US Open. Jannik was already playing well, but they needed to be at the level they are right now.
“For sure, everything has changed; I have changed. I’ve had so many ups and downs since then.
“But what I remember is an excellent tournament with a great team atmosphere, which is rare in tennis. Usually, we’re all individual players thinking about ourselves and not the team.
Revealing what he thought of the tournament before his debut in Boston, Medvedev added: “I saw guys, my fellow tennis players, really into it, celebrating every point, trying to help each other.
“And I was looking at it, and I was honestly like, ‘Is it a little bit exaggerated or not?’ So I said, ‘OK, I will come there and see for myself. ‘
One of the fascinating dynamics of the Laver Cup is how much players learn about, or from, other players – who are their biggest rivals the rest of the year – by being in such proximity over several days.
Elaborating on this, Medvedev said: “It’s a funny question because I honestly didn’t [try to gain any edge] when I was in Boston. I was not looking at someone at dinner and [thinking] ‘he has a match tomorrow, is he nervous?’
All in all, it will be an exciting showdown this year, with a combination of young and experienced players teaming up for the Laver Cup, which will commence on September 20th in Berlin.
Laver Cup tickets are now available to purchase.