Did Rafael Nadal Risk a Serious Injury By Playing in Laver Cup 2019?

Published 09/22/2019, 9:29 AM EDT

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World Number two, Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Laver Cup 2019 due to an inflammation in his wrist. Even before coming to Switzerland, he was not at his best, and his body was experiencing fatigue. Also, on Day One of the Geneva event, his wrist was strapped and his injury concerns were sparked.

In other words, the Spaniard had put himself in danger by showing up at the Laver Cup. With his on-going left-hand injury, he stepped on the court and played back to back matches in Geneva on Saturday.

Despite, not being fully fit for the Roger Federer-backed event, Rafael Nadal prioritized the tournament for his old friend, Federer. The Laver Cup is Federer’s event and this time it was taking place in his home country. Federer genuinely wanted Rafa’s presence at Laver Cup. For the sake of their friendship and to keep his word, Rafa turned up for the event.

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He made up his mind to share the tennis court with Federer and neglected his incapability to compete in a tournament.

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Apparently, Nadal’s participation in the Geneva event was a reluctant one. The Spaniard was not completely prepared to play Laver Cup as he spent arduous two weeks in New York. He culminated his 19th Grand Slam reverie after playing a mentally and physically taxing match against Daniil Medvedev.

Under such scenarios of fatigue, tennis professionals generally skip the subsequent event on the circuit. For instance, after winning the title in Canada at Rogers Cup 2019, Rafa pulled out from the Masters event of Cincinnati Open 2019, mainly due to the fatigue factor. Also, the US Open was in succession, and Rafa did not want to risk the New York major and wanted to present his best form. 

Within a few days after his US Open victory, Rafael Nadal flew to Switzerland for Laver Cup with all the fatigue and exhaustion in his body. Before the Geneva event started, Rafa gave a statement saying he was ‘tired’ and ‘not yet fully recovered’ after the US Open finale and was not ready to play professional tennis.

“I’m tired. The truth is that I have not yet fully recovered. I returned home and have already done a little recovery work. I’m regaining my strength little by little. On a mental level, I just need to rest,” Nadal said after his US Open win.

Also, he articulated that, he hasn’t worked upon his recovery, discussed certain issues with his team and he needed more mental rest. In a nutshell, Rafa was not equipped for the Laver Cup from all the dimensions.   

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On Friday, no matches were scheduled for Rafael Nadal. However, he prompted his unfit form while the matches were in progress. He mentioned that he is playing for his team, Team Europe needs him and he was motivated to give his best at Laver Cup 2019.

“Hopefully it’s not a concern, let’s see tomorrow how things go,” Rafael Nadal said on Friday. “You know, after New York, it’s always. the body feels down you know, some issues can happen, it’s normal. Here I am, I’m trying hard to be ready for the action when the team needs me.”

During his singles match against, Milos Raonic, Rafa struggled in the first set to hold his serves as the Canadian big server had multiple opportunities to get hold of the Spaniard’s service games.

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However, with his aggressive hitting and Raonic flawing at critical moments Nadal could win his singles match but that aggravated the condition of his hand. Additionally, he played an exhilarating doubles match right after his singles win, and that multiplied the aggravation of his wrist. 

“Sad I won’t be able to play today. I have inflammation on my left wrist. I will be supporting Team Europe from the bench!” he tweeted before the matches on Sunday after playing two onerous matches on Saturday. 

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The ATP season is about to end and its the time of the year when Rafa usually underperforms. This hand injury could have adverse effects on Rafa’s remaining part of the season. He is just a handful of points away from taking the World Number one spot, but his injury might halt him from ascending to that niche.

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Presently, his injury in under examination and the extent of it is undisclosed. Hopefully, there is nothing serious in Rafa’s hand, he should recover soon, rest adequately and carry on with the ATP Tour according to his calendar.

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Written by:

Mahalakshmi Murali

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Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.
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