Rafael Nadal will not be participating in the upcoming ATP tournament in Doha. Instead, he will be making his return to the court at the BNP Paribas Open 2024, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season held in Indian Wells. Nadal took to his social media accounts to share the reasons behind his decision.
“I had hoped to compete in Doha, where both the organizers and the Qatari fans have always shown tremendous support. Unfortunately, I am not yet ready to compete and will not be able to make it to Doha, despite my strong desire to be there and relive the unforgettable victory of 2014. Instead, I will focus on continuing my training and preparation for the upcoming tournaments in Las Vegas and Indian Wells,” he explained.
As mentioned earlier, the Spanish tennis player is expected to make his comeback at the ATP Masters 1000 event in California. In fact, the outfit that Nadal will be wearing at Indian Wells has already been unveiled.
The attire consists of a light red t-shirt and very pale pink shorts that lean towards white. The Nike and Nadal logos on the t-shirt and shorts will be in contrasting colors. Additionally, Nadal will be sporting black Nike shoes with pale red accents.
While Nadal has expressed his intention to return to competition in Las Vegas and Indian Wells, there have been speculations and rumors about his future, particularly regarding his potential retirement.
During an interview with Cadena Cope, the Spanish champion addressed various topics, shedding light on his physical condition and future priorities.
“Why am I not competing in Doha? My sensations are not great, and I cannot afford to take any risks. Although I arrived in Doha well in advance and underwent intense training, I did not play any sets. In contrast, I was fully prepared in Brisbane, but that’s not the case here. The risk was simply too high. The program that I had envisioned will not be possible, and let’s be clear, my desires differ significantly from what I will actually do.
My ultimate dream is to play on clay under acceptable conditions, and my decisions are geared towards achieving this. I hope to participate in Madrid, although I will only play as much as my reality allows. I do not want to lose sight of Roland Garros, and I am willing to take calculated risks to be in the best possible condition for it. As for winning, it is currently challenging to think about that, but I am eager to approach it with a sense of enjoyment and excitement.
Of course, if I believed that I had no chance of winning Roland Garros, I would consider pursuing other endeavors. I will take it day by day regarding retirement, and I cannot confirm anything definitively at this point. I will make an announcement before Roland Garros regarding whether this will be my last season or not. I want to give myself a few more months for reflection,” Nadal stated.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org