Although it is not yet official, Rafael Nadal‘s resignation from the exhibition with Carlos Alcaraz scheduled for Las Vegas on March 5 indicates that the Spaniard will almost certainly miss the Indian Wells Masters 1000.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion did not start 2023 well, withdrawing prematurely at the Australian Open (where he was defending the title) and suffering a second-degree ileus-psoas injury. A little over a week ago, the former world number 1 withdrew from the ATP in Doha and Dubai.
Although Rafa waited a while before resigning, in Qatar they were already aware that he would not play. Proof of this is that Nadal’s face did not appear in any publicity image, since his intention was to play more games than usual to regain confidence after the problems of recent months.
His likely absence in California will make him lose the 600 points he earned last year – when he lost to Taylor Fritz in the final – not to mention he won’t be able to defend the title in Acapulco. Those 1,100 lost points will drop him out of the Top 10 for the first time in 19 years.
Remember that the Spaniard leads this special classification ahead of Jimmy Connors (788) and his eternal rival Roger Federer (734). Nadal is almost two years away from reaching Martina Navratilova’s record (1000). Fans are wondering whether or not Rafael Nadal will play the Miami Open.
The 36-year-old man from Manacor has not traveled to Florida since 2017, when the tournament was still being held in Key Biscayne. Crossing the Atlantic for a single hardcourt event after eight weeks off doesn’t seem to make much sense.
Pending official confirmation, Nadal will most likely recharge his batteries to reach Monte Carlo in the best possible way. The big target for him is obviously Roland Garros, where he will go hunting for the 15th title of his career.
The Iberian is tied with Novak Djokovic in 22 Grand Slams, after the Serb won his tenth Australian Open.
Lopez comments on Nadal
Rafael Nadal is “destined” to break every record in tennis history, believes compatriot Feliciano Lopez.
“Rafa is one in a million. He is a gifted person who was destined to break all the records that have been and will be in the world of tennis. When you have a generation led by Rafa it is super easy to call it the best generation,” Lopez said.
“It is clear that my record is difficult or almost impossible for someone to beat it. It’s 20 years without fail. But it cannot be put at the height of the 22 titles. The figures that Nadal, Federer and Djokovic manage, and the level at which they have put tennis, will mark an era,” Lopez said.
