“I was really excited to share the locker room with him once again” : Carlos Alcaraz reveals he will miss playing with Rafael Nadal after his withdrawal from the Laver Cup
This summer’s tennis at the Paris Olympics saw plenty of memorable moments, including the widely awaited dream scenario of the wonderkid Carlos Alcaraz teaming with the greatest Spanish player of all time in tennis. The duo provided fans many iconic moments together, and were able to reach till the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles as well.
The duo was set to play in the highly anticipated Laver Cup as part of Team Europe, with the 38-year-old legend set to play his first match since the Olympics. But after the Spainard’s withdrawal from the US Open, he took to social media to announce his withdrawal from the Laver Cup as well.
“I’m really disappointed to share that I won’t be able to compete at the Laver Cup in Berlin next week. This is a team competition and to really support Team Europe, I need to do what’s best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win. I wish Team Europe the very best of luck and will be cheering them on from afar,” said the Spainard.
Grigor Dimitrov has already been announced as the Spaniard’s replacement, and the Bulgarian is set to join Bjorn Borg’s star-studded squad which includes Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud.
“It would have been super special to repeat here in Berlin” : Carlos Alcaraz was hoping to play alongside his idol once again
Although Team Europe are the favourites this time around to win the Laver Cup, the tournament has certainly lost the fan appeal due to the Spanish legend’s withdrawal. In addition to the increased competition, the cup is also the means for fans to view rivals and friends turned into teammates, all pushing forward for the same goal.
The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, Carlos Alcaraz was probably the most disappointed after hearing the news of Nadal’s withdrawal. The youngster has revealed multiple times that Rafael Nadal has been his favourite to watch growing up, and he considers him as his idol. Alcaraz in a recent interview reflected his sadness over the 22-time Grand Slam champion not participating in the Laver Cup.
“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,” said the Spainard (via Marca).
“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.” the 21-year-old added.
Alcaraz also revealed that he heard from Spanish captain David Ferrer that Nadal might be returning to play the Davis Cup for his country, chances of that being high since the event is set to be held in December.
“I heard David [Ferrer] say that if Rafa was there, he would go all out with him. I hope I’m also physically fit to be able to go to Malaga. It’s something that I’m particularly excited about and I hope Rafa is there too.” Alcaraz said.
“Rafa is one of the greatest in the history of our sport. For me, he is my idol, he is the one I watched the matches with when I was a child. I have tried to learn from him as much as I could during the time we were together. I will miss him in Berlin because it was a unique opportunity to continue learning from him. He has been a unique tennis player,” the four-time Grand Slam winner added.
With the 38-year-old participating in less and less tournaments as time passes, it has given fans the hint that not long is left before the Spanish legend’s legendary career ends. Fans worldwide will surely be tuning into every single match of Rafael Nadal from now on, hoping that it is not his last.
