Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after he lost the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Brandon Nakashima, of the United States, returns the ball to Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

LONDON (AP) — U.S. Open runner-up Ben Shelton withdrew from the Laver Cup and will be replaced by 16th-ranked Brandon Nakashima on Team World, organizers announced Thursday.

No reason was given for Shelton’s withdrawal but he's slated to play Davis Cup for the United States in the Czech Republic starting on Friday — less than a week after losing to Alexander Zverev in the U.S. Open final.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Sign in to hide this notification.

Shelton is up to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings after reaching his first Grand Slam final.

It will mark Nakashima’s Laver Cup debut. He joins Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien and Francisco Cerundolo on Team World, which has Andre Agassi as its captain.

Article continues after sponsor message

Yannick Noah’s Team Europe features Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Flavio Cobolli, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik and Casper Ruud.

The Laver Cup, which is modeled after the Ryder Cup, is scheduled for the O2 arena in London Sept. 25-27.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

 

More like this:

Olympic rematch: US and France to meet for women's FIBA World Cup title
4 days ago
Lionel Messi added to Argentina's roster for Oct. 6 friendly that team says will be farewell match
2 days ago
US wins fifth straight women's FIBA World Cup title, beating France 97-79
4 days ago
Breanna Stewart embraces pressure on US as new faces chase a fifth straight World Cup
Sep 8, 2026
Ryder Cup points for Americans only available in 2027 under new qualifying criteria
Sep 9, 2026