Rafael Nadal is withdrawing from the BNP Paribas Open, he announced via social media Wednesday night. The news comes just a day before the 22-time Grand Slam champion was set to play in what would have been his first official match since January.
Nadal, 37, missed most of last season due to a hip injury that he needed surgery to treat. He expressed “great sadness” over missing the tournament at Southern California’s Indian Wells in his written statement:
“Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here,” the Spanish tennis legend said. “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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/gmvs5kfGO2— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 7, 2024
In the years since the 2022 US Open, Nadal has played in just 12 official matches. Nadal was eliminated from the Australian Open by Alex Zverev of Germany on Jan. 24, his last major outing.
His most recent appearance was a loss to fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz during the Netflix Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday. He had won two of his three contests against the 20-year-old entering the exhibition. Nadal’s statement mentioned that he has been “working hard and practicing,” referencing his training in the California desert in preparation for Indian Wells before the loss to Alcaraz.
Nadal, who holds three BNP Paribas Open’s championship titles, has a 59-11 record at the hard-court tournament.
Tournament director Tommy Haas lamented his absence in a statement, which announced that Nadal will be replaced by Sumit Nagal of India.
“We are disappointed that Rafa is unable to play in the BNP Paribas Open, but we wish him continued healing and hope he can be back in action again soon,” Haas wrote. “He is one of the all-time fan favorites here, and we hope to see him back in Indian Wells again in the future.”
On Thursday, Nagal will take on Canada’s Milos Raonic. Fans will be offered refunds to account for Nadal’s withdrawal, the release added.
