He dropped out of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 to increase the uncertainty about his future

Within hours of his debut in the Masters 1000 de Indian Wells, scheduled for Thursday not before 9 p.m. in Argentina against the Canadian Milos Raonicthe Spanish Rafael Nadal dropped out of the tournament he won three times (2007, 2009 and 2013) considering that it is not found in optimal physical conditions to return to the competition. The Indian will replace him Sumit Nagalwho enters as lucky loser.

“It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this incredible tournament in Indian Wells. Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love playing here. That is also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to prepare myself.“, the Spaniard began by saying, who had just played an exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in Las Vegas, in a post on his social networks.

“I’ve been working hard and practicing and you all know I tried out this weekend but I’m not ready to play at the highest level in such an important event. It’s not an easy decision, it’s difficult in fact, but I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all and I am sure the tournament will be a great success,” he added.

Nadal, 37, played just four matches in all of 2023 and began this season in Australia with the intention of playing the first Grand Slam in Australia, but in his third match of the ATP 250 in Brisbane against the local Jordan Thompson suffered an injury muscle that altered his plans.

“During my last game in Brisbane I had a small problem with a muscle that, as you know, had me worried. Once I arrived in Melbourne I had the opportunity to have an MRI and I have a micro tear in a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that is good news,” he commented at the time.

Then he added: “Right now I am not prepared to compete at the highest level of demand in 5-set matches. “I return to Spain to see my doctor, receive treatment and rest.”

The weeks go by and the Spaniard, who suffered a lot with his physique throughout his entire career, He still cannot recover and the hope of tennis lovers to see him compete in 2025 is fading.

“For me it is important to face 2024 with guarantees for what I sense will be my last year,” he said in the middle of last year in a press conference he called after confirming his withdrawal from Roland Garros. At the moment there are no guarantees and the end seems closer and closer.

It was not a good start in Indian Wells for Argentine tennis. Only Nadia Podoroska was able to overcome the qualy, but the premiere of the main draw left the elimination of Pedro Cachín. The Córdoban player let a set slip in his favor against the German Yannick Hanfmann and extended a negative streak similar to the one he suffers Diego Schwartzman.

Cachín, number 79 in the ATP, was beaten by the veteran Hanfmann (57th) 6-7 (7/9), 6-4 and 6-1 in two hours and 20 minutes of play.

The 28-year-old from Cordoba thus extends a complicated start to the ATP season in which he was eliminated from the start of the eight tournaments played. In total, there are 12 consecutive defeats counting all types of tournaments.

The other three Argentine players present at Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the year, will start from the second round: Francisco Cerúndolo, Tomás Martín Etcheverry y Sebastian Baez.

Cerúndolo’s rival will be the Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko, who on Wednesday beat the German Dominik Koepfer in three sets, while Etcheverry and Baez were still waiting to meet their opponents.