Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Indian Wells Open just hours before his scheduled first-round match against Milos Raonic.
The tournament in California was set to be Nadal's first on the ATP Tour since the start of the season in Brisbane. Nadal had pulled out of the Australian Open due to an injury in the same part of his hip that he had surgery on.
The fans in Indian Wells were extremely excited to see the tennis legend at the event again. If he had played, Nadal would have had to navigate the brutal draw that he was handed.
Nadal played an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz a few days ago. The signs appeared to be positive during that contest, with Andre Agassi giving an interesting opinion about his backhand while commentating on the match.
However, it seems that Nadal may have picked up an injury during that match, or it could also be an existing problem. Nadal did not say what the exact injury was in his statement announcing his withdrawal, but still made some interesting remarks.
Nadal said he has been working hard to try and be at the right level to compete at the event. However, he simply does not feel he is ready to compete properly at such a big tournament.
"It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament at Indian Wells. Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here. That’s also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to get ready."
Nadal also emphasizes what a difficult decision it was. However, being the humble person he is, the 22-time Grand Slam champion feels he would be lying to all the fans watching if he elected to play despite not being able to give his best.
"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."
The Spaniard ended by wishing the tournament well and predicting it would be a great success. That may still be the case, but the organizers will certainly be devastated that they have lost a legendary figure like Nadal.
It is very likely that the tennis world will not see Nadal again until the clay court season, where he usually plays his best tennis. Nadal will have extra motivation to find that level this year, since the Olympics are being held at Roland-Garros.
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