LAS VEGAS – Rafael Nadal said he hopes to avoid any injury setbacks at Indian Wells so he can be fully fit for the upcoming clay-court season in what could be his final year on the ATP Tour.
The 37-year-old, who has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles on the red clay of Roland Garros, has suggested his career could be coming to a close and missed the 2024 Australian Open due to pain in his surgically repaired hip.
“For me, the priority is to try to get out of Indian Wells unscathed,” Nadal was quoted as saying on Eurosport, ahead of his exhibition match against fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on March 3. Alcaraz won 3-6, 6-4, 14-12.
“Whatever has to be left, leave it in the clay season, which may or may not be the last, I have not decided 100 per cent. At the moment, things are going that way,” Nadal said at a press conference ahead of the Netflix Slam event.
“I’m not saying goodbye because then I’d say I’m not playing any more. This is an important point and I don’t want to say it because I’m not 100 per cent clear about it.
“In the last two years, I haven’t been able to play. Life is showing you the path.”
Former world No. 1 Nadal is a three-time Indian Wells champion and plays his first-round match on March 7 at the tournament in the southern California desert.
He has previously said his goal was to play the French Open and the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“How did I imagine my farewell? At first, I didn’t imagine it because when you start to imagine something, it means that the closer you are to it,” he said.
“It wasn’t something I had in mind. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court. Whether that can be or not, time will tell.”
After his exhibition match loss, Nadal said one good thing about nearing the end of his career is that he will not have to face Alcaraz too many times.
He added that the future of Spanish tennis was in good hands.
Alcaraz has already won Majors at the US Open and Wimbledon and is ranked No. 2 in the world, behind Novak Djokovic.
“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times. As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years, hopefully,” said Nadal.
“In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming. He’s an amazing player.
“He’s only 20 years old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”
The contest at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, carried live by streaming service Netflix, was a chance for both Spanish stars to test their fitness.
Nadal told interviewer Mary Joe Fernandez he felt “much better than expected” after pocketing the first set against Alcaraz.
He had enough in the tank to save five match points in the match tiebreak, before Alcaraz finally finished it out.
It was an encouraging performance before Indian Wells. In his most recent Indian Wells appearance, Nadal finished runner-up to American Taylor Fritz in 2022.
Alcaraz, who will be seeded in the California desert, will have a first-round bye. He will be trying to become the first man to successfully defend his Indian Wells title since Novak Djokovic’s three-peat from 2014 to 2016.
But Alcaraz has had his own injury concerns of late. He retired from his first-round match at the Rio Open less than two weeks ago after he rolled his right ankle on just the second point of the match against Thiago Monteiro.
Alcaraz has not won an ATP title since his stunning Wimbledon triumph over Djokovic last July.
On the WTA Tour, Britain’s Katie Boulter won the biggest title of her career on March 3, beating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to claim the San Diego Open title.
The 27-year-old, whose only previous WTA crown came at Nottingham last June, moves into the world rankings top 30 for the first time in her career. REUTERS, AFP
