Rafael Nadal gives big hint over his schedule as he prepares for Indian Wells ‘farewell’

Kevin Palmer
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Rafael Nadal Brisbane 2024
Rafael Nadal waves in Brisbane

Rafael Nadal made a return to action in an entertaining encounter against Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s ‘Netflix Slam’ in Las Vegas, but how many more times will we see the Spanish great on court?

Nadal looked understandably rusty as he made a tentative return to action for the first time since he picked up an injury in the Brisbane International tournament in January.

His appearance in Australia was his first attempt at a comeback since he sustained a serious hip problem at the 2023 Australian Open, with the Spanish legend admitting he has been troubled again in his attempt to be ready to play against Alacraz in Las Vegas and at the Indian Wells tournament this week.

“At the moment, I am considering playing in Indian Wells. I would love to play in Monte Carlo,” said Nadal in Las Vegas.

“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.

“I will try to do what is better to reach my goals with some chance. I want to do the things that I really want to be happy.”

Nadal went on to suggest he is not sure when his final tournament will be, but it is clear that his ambitions to play a full year in 2024 may be halted by his failing body

“I’m not saying goodbye because then I’d say I’m not playing anymore,” Nadal continued.

“This is an important point and I don’t want to say it because I’m not 100% clear about it. In the last two years, I haven’t been able to play

“Life is showing you the path. How did I imagine my farewell? At first, I didn’t imagine it because you start to imagine something, which means that the closer you are to it. It wasn’t something I had in mind. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court.

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“Whether that can be or not, time will tell. It is evident that the months and weeks show me a path that is complicated. There are moments that are difficult to manage.

“Two weeks ago, when I could not go to Doha, well it is another blow, but here we are. I’m going to give myself the opportunity to enjoy it a little more.”

There was no mention of Nadal playing at the Miami Open later this month and given his pessimistic physical update, it seems unlikely that he would consider playing back-to-back ATP 1000 events in America this month.

It is also clear that he is eager to play the Monte-Carlos Masters next month, where is an 11-time winner.

He may want to play in Barcelona the week after Monte-Carlo, but that may be pushing his body to breaking point ahead of the Madrid Masters at the end of the month.

As he has stated on several occasions, Nadal’s focus for what could be his final season as a professional tennis player will be on the French Open and his pursuit of a remarkable 15th title at Roland Garros.

So expect the 37-year-old to skip some events he would relish the chance to play in as he looks to give himself every opportunity to compete in the Paris Grand Slam this summer, yet expectations need to be realistic for this fading champion.

While there were flashes of brilliance from Nadal in his match against Alcaraz and the match point he saved with a thrilling forehand in the tie-break was a flashback to his glorious past, the player we saw in Las Vegas does not look like a contender for major prizes in tennis.

Unless he can get out on court consistently and get himself into a groove that will allow him to perform at his best, Nadal may be on a farewell tour that will not have a fairytale ending.

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