Farewell to Indian Wells for Rafa Nadal. The Spaniard announced earlier this morning that he is not ready to compete at the highest level and that he is giving up playing in the first Masters 1,000 of the season.
“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 competing here in Indian Wells,” Nadal wrote on his Twitter account.
“I’ve been working hard and training and you know I did a test this weekend, but I’m not ready to play at the highest level in an important event” he added.
“It was not an easy decision. It was very difficult indeed, but I can’t lie to myself and lie to thousands of fans. “I will miss you and I am sure this tournament will be successful,” he concluded.
Nadal, 37, played on Sunday an exhibition match in Las Vegas against Carlos Alcarazwhere he showed a good level of form and where he fell despite not conceding five match points.
“In the first set I played at a good level. I feel better than expected“said the 14-time Roland Garros champion after the match that ended with a loss to Carlos Alcaraz 3-6, 6-4 14-12 after almost two hours of hard-fought match.
The one from Manacor, who entered the main draw with a protected ranking and He will make his debut on Thursday against Canadian Milos Raonicsurrendered a tournament he had won three times in his career.
This is the second year in a row that Nadal has not competed in Indian Wells. Nadal’s last official match began on January 5 in Brisbane, when he suffered a muscle micro-tear.
His place in the main draw will be occupied by an Indian Sumit Nagal.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
