As expected, Rafael Nadal left London on Saturday morning and returned home to Mallorca. Rafa and his wife are expecting their first child in the coming weeks, and he wants to get home as soon as possible and help Xisca with the preparations.
Nadal spent two days at the Laver Cup in London, where he traveled to honor arch-rival Roger Federer, despite not feeling his best physically. As he admitted on Friday night, Rafa is still struggling with an abdominal injury picked up at Wimbledon which only got worse after playing at the US Open.
Nadal has only played five singles matches after retiring at the All England Club. He struggled to play his serve and left the US Open prematurely. Rafa suffered a seven millimeter tear in his abdomen in London and had to skip Montreal.
The Spaniard returned to action in Cincinnati and suffered an early loss to Borna Coric which clouded his chances of advancing to the US Open in good condition. Nadal had an opportunity to become world No. 1 after the US Open, but lost in the fourth round to Frances Tiafoe in four sets.
Rafa never looked like a real contender, playing without his serve and losing to the American in four sets.
Rafael Nadal returns home to Mallorca.
Roger Federer wished to play alongside Rafa for the last match of his career at the Laver Cup in London, and the Spaniard was there to support him.
Federer and Nadal played the last meeting of the opening day and faced Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Both legends wasted match point in a 4-6, 6-2, 11-9 loss in two hours and 13 minutes.
The match was still thrilling and the end an apotheosis of emotions and a worthy farewell to the Swiss maestro, Rafa Nadal could not contain his tears for his rival and friend, thus ends the story of Roger Federer, the epitome of tennis elegance! We wish him the best in the world for his future projects! Thanks Roger!