Rafael Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells days after heartbreaking loss to Carlos Alcaraz!

The 22-time Grand Slam winner recently lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells days after heartbreaking loss to Carlos Alcaraz!

Rafael Nadal (Image via Imago)

In the most shocking and heartbreaking news of the day, Rafael Nadal has announced that he will not be participating in the 2024 Indian Wells. The Spaniard has been delaying his return to the court for a long time now. This time, however, the mood among tennis fans on social media is unanimously melancholic, as it almost looks like this is the end of Nadal’s decorated career. 

The Spaniard suffered a hip injury in the 2023 Australian Open for which he had to undergo surgery. It took him an entire year to recover from the injury and he finally made his much-awaited comeback in the 2024 Brisbane International. Sadly, that too was short-lived, as he once again suffered a muscle issue during his quarterfinal match against Jordan Thompson, which forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open. 

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His immediate next goal was to participate in Indian Wells, and the Spaniard assured his fans that he would definitely be there. In fact, he was one of the first players to travel to Los Angeles to prepare for the tournament. However, it was seemingly just not meant to be. After his loss against Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam, Nadal has decided to opt out of the tournament. 

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I have been working hard and practicing and you all know I took a test this weekend but I don’t find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event. It is not an easy decision, it’s a tough one as a matter of fact but I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all and I am sure the tournament will be a great success. 
Nadal wrote on X

Rafael Nadal suffered a defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam 

Nadal and Alcaraz faced each other in the 2024 Netflix Slam, an exhibition match at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. They presented a thrilling battle to the sold-out crowd of 9,489. However, the match did not quite go in favor of the 22-time Grand Slam winner. 

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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at Netflix Slam (Image via Imago)

Despite winning the first set, Nadal went on to lose the match 3-6, 6-4 (14-12) and it shouldn’t have ideally happened. Carlos Alcaraz recently suffered a grade 2 ankle injury at the Rio Open and thus Rafael Nadal was considered the favorite in this match. However, things took an unexpected turn. 

It was perhaps this loss that convinced the Spaniard to withdraw from the Indian Wells and prepare more. After all, he himself revealed a while back that his ultimate goal is to be at his best for the 2024 French Open, where he has a sensational record. 

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