John McEnroe has made a heartbreaking prediction about Rafael Nadal’s future after the Spaniard skipped the US Open.
Nadal has not played since crashing out of the singles and doubles draws at the Olympics. He later pulled out of the final Grand Slam of the season and said he wouldn’t be able to “give 100 per cent”.
The 22-time Major winner is set to compete at the Laver Cup next month – a Ryder Cup-style team tournament co-founded by Roger Federer.
Nadal has not played a hard-court tournament since January, when he returned from a year-long injury layoff and hurt himself again. Since then, the former world No. 1 has only competed on his favourite surface – clay.
So it came as little surprise when he pulled out of the US Open. But he will be back on an indoor hard court for his next tournament, the Laver Cup. Nadal will be representing Team Europe for the fourth time. He also competed in the light-hearted event in 2017, 2019 and 2022. In his latest appearance, he played doubles alongside Federer for the Swiss star’s farewell.
Federer officially retired at the Laver Cup when it was staged in London’s O2 Arena two years ago. Having not played a match in more than a year, he contested a doubles tie alongside Nadal before bowing out. And McEnroe is now worried that Nadal could follow his old rival in retiring at the same tournament.
“It feels like he is going to stop, maybe, at Laver Cup,” the American told Eurosport. “Then again, Roger did it at Laver Cup a couple of years ago, so maybe he wants to do it in his own time.”
McEnroe believes Nadal is still eager to compete, though he confessed that the Spaniard’s body may not allow it. He continued: “He still seems like he has an appetite to play. It seems like he is trying to get the body up to a level where he feels like he can play. Maybe see what he can do at the start of next year?”
However, the seven-time Grand Slam champion thinks the Laver Cup could be a realistic end point for Nadal, comparing his decline to that of Andy Murray. “I don’t know and this is a total guess, but Laver Cup could be the end for the Spaniard,” McEnroe added.
“He really loves to play, more than almost anyone I’ve ever seen, but we’ve watched Andy Murray for the last six years trying to get back to that level and it’s hard when your body lets you down.
“It’s hard to walk way when you still want to play and you look at Murray and he wanted it so bad. It sucks when your body doesn’t cooperate and we will see with Rafa. I’d be a little surprised if he carried on playing.”
Nadal’s body has kept him on the sidelines for the better part of two years. He injured his abdomen at Wimbledon in 2022 and barely played for the rest of the year. In 2023, he suffered a season-ending injury at the Australian Open and underwent arthroscopic hip surgery that summer. And since his return this January, he has played just seven tournaments.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk