After all the hue and cry over Rafael Nadal’s return to professional tennis at the Indian Wells 2024, the Spanish legend has bowed out of the ATP 1000 Masters event. It has been one of the biggest news in the tennis world in the last few days. The stage was set for Nadal, and the Indian Wells even paid tribute to him. But the 22-time Grand Slam winner had to exclude himself since he believes his recovery from injury isn’t complete yet.
After his withdrawal, Rafael Nadal spoke to a reporter, while taking a stroll at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Nadal spoke his heart out on the disappointment over not competing at the Indian Wells 2024, an ATP Tournament he won thrice. At that moment, he was inevitably asked about his favorite of those wins. Here’s how the conversation went down, as shared by the BNP Paribas Open Instagram page.
“You have won this tournament three times. Are there any of those three titles that mean the most to you? Any special reasons why?” asked the reporter to Nadal.
“Probably the, the one that has been more special to me, have been the 2013 one. I mean, the final against, against Del Potro have been super special for me. It was the first hard court tournament after I have, probably more than a year without playing. And of course, more than a year without playing a tournament on a hard court, and after coming back from 8-month injury of my, of my knee and be able to play at that level here have been very emotional for me,” answered a very heartfelt and sincere Rafael Nadal.
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The match Rafael Nadal referred to, which was his favorite, was his 3rd and final Indian Wells title to date. In the 10 years since he hasn’t won any other Indian Wells title but did reach the final once at the 2022 edition. He lost to Taylor Fritz there.
But Nadal won his 2013 final match against Del Potro by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. He lost the first set and made a comeback. Nadal had started well, with the scores tied at 4-4 in the first set at one point. Del Potro then charged ahead to take that set 6-4.
In the second set, Del Potro did the same, tying at 3-3, but this time it was Nadal who forged ahead like a ‘Raging Bull’. The final and decider set was a see-saw contest until 3-each points. Then Nadal eliminated any chance of a Del Potro revival.
Rafael Nadal Indian Wells 2024 withdrawal sends shockwaves to the tennis world
Rafael Nadal tried his level best to avail himself of the Indian Wells 2024. He even made a hard decision to not partake in any and every ATP Tour, owing to the stress and fatigue on his 37-year-old injury-prone body. Instead, he will be playing in only Grand Slams and only the major ATP Tours, possibly the Masters 1000 events. Nadal has already bowed out of the Miami Masters a few days before his shocking decision about Indian Wells.
Now, given that he still needs ample time care to recover from his injury, Rafael Nadal is targeting the Monte Carlo Masters next, the first clay court ATP 1000 Masters event of the calendar year. Although the bigger target is the obvious for Nadal, the French Open 2024. Novak Djokovic had already stated at one Australian Open 2024 press conference after his exit, that if Nadal returns, no one else could be potentially more dangerous than him at the Roland Garros.
The Olympics could be the next big thing for Nadal after the French Open 2024. But will he be able to make it to the year’s second Grand Slam event? Only time will tell.
