Rafael Nadal had a tremendous event the last time he played in Indian Wells, but it won’t be that easy this time around, as he got an extremely tough draw.
The 2024 Indian Wells Open is upon us, and the draw is out. It’s a draw that has both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in it, and the former has some pretty tough matchups coming his way, mostly because he is not among seeded players.
To start off, it will be a difficult challenge against Milos Raonic, who is never an easy out. The Canadian isn’t playing at the level he used to have, but he still has the powerful service, which can disturb the opponent’s rhythm.
Judging by how Nadal played against Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam, he should be good to go there. If he wins that matchup, he’ll have to play against Holger Rune, which is a tremendously tough matchup.
It could be good in the sense that it’s going to be a tough match, so it’s exactly what Nadal wants – testing himself against the best players in the world. Should he somehow win that match, the Spaniard could potentially face Lorenzo Musetti, who, again, is a very tricky matchup.
The Italian might thrive on the slower courts in a similar manner Nadal does. Should he win that matchup, we might get the 2022 Indian Wells Open final rematch between him and Taylor Fritz.
The American traditionally plays really well at the ATP Masters 1000 event in California, as he proved by winning it a couple of years ago. He beat Nadal in that final, so there’s a chance fans will get a rematch of that matchup if both win a couple of matches.
However, that may not happen as Nadal has a pretty difficult draw, but it could be good for him if he manages to win. He can use it as a barometer to see where he really is with his level.
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
