Rafael Nadal of Spain [Source: Reuters]

Rafa Nadal has pulled out of next week’s Laver Cup because he will not be able to play at his best as he battles to regain full fitness, the Spaniard said.

Nadal last played at the Paris Olympics where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the second round before the 38-year-old Spaniard skipped the U.S. Open due to concerns about his fitness.

The 22-times Grand Slam winner said at the time that he was targeting a return at the Sept. 20-22 Laver Cup in Berlin.

Nadal last played at the Laver Cup in 2022, when he teamed up with his rival Roger Federer in the Swiss great’s final match of his career.

A former world number one, Nadal has fallen outside the top 150 in the rankings after struggling with injuries for two years.