Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the ongoing Indian Wells Open competition on the eve of his first-round match, citing that he is “not ready to play at the highest level.”
The 37-year-old legend made his return to competetive tennis in Brisbane this January after being sidelined for almost a year due to a hip flexor injury. He missed on Australian Open after sustaining another muscle tear.
Despite participating in an exhibition event in Las Vegas on Sunday and losing to youngster Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal seemed prepared to vie for his fourth Indian Wells title, but he pulled out of his match against Canadian Milos Raonic.
Speaking on X (formerly Twitter), Nadal said, “It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament.”
“Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here at Indian Wells”, he added.
“That is also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to get ready. I have been working hard and practicing and you all know I took a test this weekend but I dont find myself ready to play at the highest level at such important event”, he further said.
“It is not an easy decision, it is a tough one as a matter of fact but I cannot 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 concluded.
Nadal’s withdrawal opens the door for lucky loser Sumit Nagal, who will now become the first Indian in the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 event since Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019 in Miami.