On the eve of his first-round encounter at Indian Wells on Wednesday, Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal, citing his lack of readiness to compete at the greatest level.
After missing nearly a year due to a hip flexor injury, the 37-year-old Spaniard—who has stated that he plans to retire after the 2024 season—returned to competition in Brisbane in January. However, he was forced to miss the Australian Open due to a second muscle rupture.
He was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in a Las Vegas exhibition match, but he seems prepared to challenge for a fourth title in the California desert.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion released a statement saying, “I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament with great sadness.”
“Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here at Indian Wells.”That is also one of the reasons I arrived in the desert well in advance to practice and try to prepare.
It’s not an easy decision—quite the contrary—but I can’t lie to the thousands of fans and to myself despite having been training hard and taking a test this past weekend. “I don’t find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event.” I know the competition will be a huge success, and I will miss you all very much.”
Tommy Haas, the tournament director, expressed disappointment over Nadal’s departure. Sumit Nagal, the lucky loser, will take his position.
“He is a longtime fan favorite here, and we hope to see him return to Indian Wells in the future,” Haas continued.