Carlos Alcaraz has admitted to being starstruck when he first faced Rafael Nadal, saying that facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion was "kind of a nightmare". "The other times for me were kind of a nightmare.

Some insiders believe that Nadal may play the Davis Cup Finals in November, but he would need to play a few competitive matches in these months to achieve his best form. The legend of Manacor did not achieve any brilliant results in 2024 and his level seemed very far from the standards required for a player of his caliber.

Carlos Alcaraz hopes that his budding rivalry with Jannik Sinner will blossom to the heights of that between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz already has four Grand Slam titles, winning his first at the 2022 US Open in the same year Nadal won his most recent major at the French Open.

On the brighter side, the tournament provides the likes of Russian and Belarusian players like Daniil Medvedev, to get back onto the court. With several seasoned stars set to miss the competition, let’s take a look at the top five players who have withdrawn from Laver Cup 2024.