Rafael Nadal has been handed a rather complicated draw at the upcoming Indian Wells Masters.Nadal’s previous appearance at the ATP 1000 event came in 2022. On that occasion, the 22-time Grand Slam champion reached the final. However, an inspired Taylor Fritz got the better of him to clinch the title.
In 2023, the three-time Indian Wells winner was forced to skip the event after sustaining a severe hip injury at the Australian Open. This time around, the Spaniard has battled back from another injury he suffered at the Brisbane International to be fit in time for the event.
Nadal will face Milos Raonic in the first round. If he beats the Canadian, Holger Rune will be his second-round opponent. Another win would see Nadal face either Denis Shapovalov or Lorenzo Musetti. A fourth-round appearance could see him run into his 2022 final opponent Fritz or Sebastian Baez.From the quarterfinals onwards, the Spaniard could meet the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, and Hubert Hurkacz. If he makes the final, he could be pitted against Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, or Andrey Rublev.
Nadal fans on X (formerly Twitter) were rather disappointed upon the release of the Indian Wells draw. One fan wished that the Spaniard had Novak Djokovic’s luck.
“I wish that Rafa Nadal had the luck of Novak Djokovic,” they wrote.
Another claimed that Nadal’s 2024 Indian Wells draw was the hardest they’d ever seen.
“Hardest draw I’ve ever seen,” the fan opined.
Another fan reflected on the brutal nature of the draw.
“That’s as brutal as it gets,” they lamented.
Here are some more fan reactions:
If Rafa wanted rhythm in R1, that is NOT what he is going to get.
2nd round AT BEST but at least we avoided an humiliation against Djokovic yeeeeeeeeeeeepppp 🥳🥳🥳
We’re not just cooked, we’re next level roasted and straight up burnt to a crisp.
Yeah long day man. Might as well call it off and focus on the clay season.
Cruel draw to be honest
I know it’s asking too much for a Nadal vs Djokovic semi-final…but allow us to dream.
