Rafael Nadal has been handed a tough draw on his return to competitive tennis in his likely final appearance in Indian Wells. The Spanish superstar played his first event for a year in Brisbane in January and then pulled out of the Australian Open with a “micro tear” in a hip muscle.
The 22-Grand Slam champion, who is still to confirm he will retire at the end of the season, has decided to return in the first Masters event of the year in the Californian desert. And the world No.652 has been rewarded with an opening match against former Wimbledon finalist and world No.3 Milos Raonic, now down to world No.224 after a horror run of injuries. Nadal leads their head-to-head record 7-2 but they have not played for five years.
The winner will face No.7 seed Holger Rune in the second round.
Nadal has won the title three times in Indian Wells and reached the final on his last appearance there in 2022.
The Spaniard, who turns 38 in June, suggested 2024 would be his final season last year but in Brisbane he left open the option of carrying on.
Speaking before his Netflix exhibition match with Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on Sunday, Nadal said: “Whatever has to be left, leave it in the season of clay, which may or may not be the last, I have not decided 100 per cent. At the moment, things are going that way,” the Spaniard said.
“At the moment, I am considering playing in Indian Wells. I would love to play in Monte Carlo. And then, at this point in my career, I have to analyse how I am at every moment, the feelings I have and where I most want to play.
After losing to his fellow Spaniard, Nadal joked: “It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal, who expects to retire in 2024 after a series of injuries limited his appearances on the circuit. As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully.”
All the top players, including 2021 champion Cam Norrie, get a bye in the first round. Defending champion Alcaraz, who pulled out of Rio after spraining his ankle, will face either Frenchman Luca Van Assche or Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the second round.
Top seed Novak Djokovic is making his first appearance since his Australian Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner – and his first in the desert since 2019. The Serbian superstar will play his first match against Australian Aleksandar Vukic or a qualifier. New Grand Slam champion Sinner, who is in Alcaraz’s half of the draw, will look to extend his 15-match winning streak against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis or American Marcos Giron.
Andy Murray will face a qualifier in the first round but has then been drawn to face world No.5 Andrey Rublev in the Russian’s first match since his disqualification in Dubai.
Dan Evans will face Russian Roman Safiullin and Jack Draper takes on Aussie Chris O’Connell.
