United States – Rafael Nadal withdrew Thursday from the Indian Wells American Tennis Tournament due to his lack of readiness, casting further doubts about his ability to regain his level in 2024, which is expected to be the last of his career.
The 37-year-old’s decision came four days after he lost an exhibition match in Las Vegas to his compatriot, the rising Spanish star, Carlos Alcarras, ranked second in the world.
Nadal, the holder of 22 major championship titles, missed most of the 2023 season after undergoing two surgeries to treat his hip and suffering injuries to his abdomen. This year, he only played the Brisbane tournament in Australia last January, when he suffered a muscle tear.
The former world number one then withdrew from the Australian Open, the first of the four major tournaments, and then from a tournament in Qatar due to his lack of readiness.
Nadal was expected to play on Thursday in the Indian Wells tournament against Canadian veteran Milos Raonic.
While the rain was falling over the tournament’s courts and the clouds were overcast, news came of Nadal’s withdrawal.
The “Matador” said in a statement posted on his account on the “X” platform: “It is with great sadness that I withdraw from the wonderful Indian Wells tournament.”
He continued, “I have been working hard… but I do not see myself ready to play at the highest level in a similar major event.”
Nadal’s withdrawal from Indian Wells will shed more light on his imminent retirement from the sport.
Last January, Nadal refused to confirm that 2024 would be his last, retracting his previous hints in this regard.
Source: Agencies
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2024-05-10 04:05:14
