Rafael Nadal heads into the Indian Wells tournament with some doubts about form and a loss in the comeback Netflix showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. In fact, the Spanish legend seems more focused on getting through the tournament with full health rather than winning trophies.
In discussions about his fitness and expectations for Indian Wells, Nadal has been really honest. He admits to arriving at the tournament slightly unprepared, a rarity for a players like Rafa. The primary goal, as Nadal puts it, is to navigate the tournament “unscathed”, prioritising his long-term health.
Nadal also spoke about the importance of finding joy in competition again, following all the injury problems in the last year or so. This just shows his love for tennis and that he now needs to manage expectations.
Alcaraz outlasts Nadal in Vegas “Netflix show”
We had earlier reported about the Netflix Slam between Nadal and fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, which took place yesterday.
It was a decent match in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas where Alcaraz came out the stronger in the end with 3-6 6-4 7-6 (14-12).
However, we don’t want to look too closely into this contest as it’s just an exhibition match and both players have recently suffered injuries. It was mainly positive they were both able to play this event and I’m sure they don’t mind the £1million earned for taking part…
Nadal had only nice words to say about the 20-year-old after the match;
“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20 years old and he’s already won two Slams and a couple of important tournaments.” and joked that “It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times.”
Nadal plays his first match at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, read more about the Indian Wells schedule.
