What's next for Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard edges closer to retirement in potential final season? All you need to know about his upcoming schedule
Rafael Nadal was initially set to compete at the US Open 2024 after the Paris Olympics but pulled out of the season's final Major. He's set to make his comeback at the Laver Cup in a couple of weeks, and then the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event in October.
The Laver Cup will be held from September 20-22, in Berlin, Germany, and this will be Nadal's fourth time competing in the event. He made his debut for Team Europe in the inaugural edition back in 2017, and returned to compete for the second time in 2019.
The Spaniard's third appearance was in 2022, and he joined forces with Roger Federer as the duo competed together in doubles. The tournament also doubled up as the Swiss legend's retirement ceremony, who hung up his racquet for good after that.
The Six Kings Slam will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 16-19. Along with Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune are also set to contest the lucrative event. The winner will receive a whopping $6 million in prize money.
Nadal hasn't entered any other official ATP tournaments or exhibition events as of now. He has played a sparse schedule upon his comeback, partly due to his recurring injuries. With no clear plans for the future at the moment, the rumors surrounding his impending retirement only grow stronger.
Rafael Nadal has participated in only seven tournaments this year
Rafael Nadal returned to the tour after a year-long hiatus at this year's Brisbane International. He advanced to the quarterfinals where he lost to Jordan Thompson despite having match points. Unfortunately, he sustained another injury that ruled him out for the next three months.
The 22-time Major champion resumed playing at the Barcelona Open in April, where he bowed out in the second round. He then progressed to the fourth round of the Madrid Open but suffered another early exit after that as he was eliminated in the second round of the Italian Open.
He was drawn against Alexander Zverev in the first round of the French Open, and lost to him in straight sets. It marked his fifth defeat at the venue, and the first time he failed to make it past the opening hurdle in Paris. He skipped the grass swing and next headed to Bastad for the Swedish Open.
Nadal reached the final and went down to Nuno Borges in straight sets. He competed in singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics, and left without a medal in both. He lost to Djokovic in the second round of singles, and the quarterfinals of doubles with Alcaraz against the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
As mentioned above, he was on the entry list of the US Open as well. The Spaniard used his protected ranking with an intention to participate but ultimately decided against it after his outing at the Olympics.