Casper Ruud crowns Rafael Nadal as “the greatest athletes in history” ahead of his much awaited Indian Wells comeback 2.0

The last time Rafael Nadal took part in the Indian Wells back in 2022, he was the runner-up.

Casper Ruud crowns Rafael Nadal as “the greatest athletes in history” ahead of his much awaited Indian Wells comeback 2.0

Rafael Nadal (L), Casper Ruud (R) (Sources: IMAGO)

Casper Ruud recently named Rafael Nadal one of the greatest athletes of all time while talking about his legacy. The Spaniard is already in the twilight of his career and has announced that he might retire after the 2024 season.

The Norwegian talked about exactly that and said that even if Nadal retires in 2024, his legacy will live forever. 

It’s tough to describe. His legacy will live forever, no matter if he retires in 2024 or not, as one of the greatest athletes in history. He’s just an incredible sportsman, a fighter, always staying humble, trying to improve even though he’s achieved so much. He deserves all the success that he has ever had.
Ruud said. 
YouTube video

Rafael Nadal is making his much-awaited comeback in the Indian Wells. After his hip injury in the 2023 Australian Open, the Spaniard had to sit out the entire 2023 season and he returned to the court in the 2024 Brisbane International.

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However, he again suffered a muscle injury during his match against Jordan Thompson and missed the Australian Open. He will finally make his comeback in the Indian Wells in a few days. 

The Spaniard is serious about his performance in the Indian Wells. He reached Los Angeles last week and was one of the first players to reach the tennis garden. On his way, he met Novak Djokovic in the business class of the flight he was on. Nole posted a picture of the two of them on his Instagram account, creating quite a buzz on social media. 

Rafael Nadal is set to face Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match before his Indian Wells return

Rafael Nadal has already traveled to Las Vegas for his upcoming exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz, which will be played at the Michelob Arena.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (via Imago)

The match will be streamed on Netflix and has been named ‘The Netflix Slam’. Technically, that will be the first time that fans will see Nadal play since his injury at the Brisbane International. 

The 22-time Grand Slam winner is considered the favorite to win the match because his opponent, Carlos Alcaraz, is just coming out of an injury. He recently suffered a grade 2 ankle injury during his first-round match in the Rio Open against Thiago Monteiro only a few days ago.

Although it is unclear whether he has fully recovered from his injury, he has decided to take the risk of playing the exhibition match ahead of Indian Wells. 

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