Rafael Nadal last played at the Paris Olympics, where he competed in both singles and doubles, and has since ruled himself out of the US Open and Laver Cup

The Russian tennis player analyzed how wrong it is to make this kind of comparison in sports (not only in tennis)

BERLÍN (AP) — Rafael Nadal se dio de baja el jueves de la Copa Laver, que inicia la próxima semana en Berlín, y no quedó claro si el astro español volverá a jugar.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had slated the exhibition-style team tournament as his final event of the year.

The Laver Cup — the tournament where Roger Federer retired in 2022 after teaming up with Nadal in doubles — would have been Nadal's first event since the Paris Olympics.

Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer have both had their say after Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Laver Cup. The 38-year-old repeatedly committed to the team tournament but withdrew last week. Nadal confirmed he had “zero” physical issues but thought another player would be better placed to help Team Europe win.

Carlos Alcaraz already has four Grand Slam titles, winning his first at the 2022 US Open in the same year Nadal won his most recent major at the French Open.

On the brighter side, the tournament provides the likes of Russian and Belarusian players like Daniil Medvedev, to get back onto the court. With several seasoned stars set to miss the competition, let’s take a look at the top five players who have withdrawn from Laver Cup 2024.