John mackenro has made a heartbreaking prediction about Rafael Nadal's future after the Spaniards 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% the 22-time major winner is set to compete at the laor cup next month a Ryder Cup style team tournament co-founded by Roger Federer Nadal has has not played a hardcourt tournament since January when he returned from a year-long injury layoff and hurt himself again since then the former world number one has only competed on his favorite 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 Stars farewell Federer officially retired at the labor cup when it was staged in London's o02 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 mackenro is now worried that nidal could follow his old rival in retiring at the same tournament it feels like he is going to stop maybe at Labor cup the American told Eurosport then again Roger did it at Labor cup a couple of years ago so maybe he wants to do it in his own time mackenro 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 labor 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 labor cup could be the end for the Spaniard Mack androe added he really loves to play more than almost anyone I've ever seen but we've watched Andy Mur for the last 6 years trying to get back to that level and it's hard when your body lets you down it's hard to walk away 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 nidal'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 arthoscopic hip surgery that summer and since his return this January he has played just seven tournaments and that wraps up today's news thank you for watching don't forget to like share and subscribe for more tennis content see you next time