Rafael Nadal has hinted that he plans to play in an upcoming exhibition tournament before making a return to the ATP Tour, suggesting that he is getting closer to making his most recent comeback.
Rafael Nadal’s happiness was short-lived as he suffered another injury and had to miss the Australian Open after making his comeback at the Brisbane International in January after spending almost a full year out of the game thanks to a hip flexor injury.
Following that, he was scheduled to play in the Qatar Open this week. However, he had previously acknowledged two weeks ago that “unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been working hard on the practice court, and according to his most recent social media post, it looks like he’s on track to participate in the next “Netflix Slam,” which also stars world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.
That event is slated to take place on March 3 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be the streaming behemoth Netflix’s first-ever live tennis match.
If Rafael Nadal survives his match against Alcaraz on Netflix, he will play in the Miami Open from March 20–31. However, he may be eager to stay fit for the clay-court season. Nadal will travel to California for the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells Open, which takes place from March 6–17.
Nadal stated in a recent interview with El Objetivo of Spain that his primary objectives are to compete at Indian Wells, where he won titles in 2007, 2009, and 2013, as well as to perform well on clay.
“My main goal is to arrive at the clay season as soon as possible,” he declared. “It is a very special tournament for me, and I hope to be in Indian Wells; it may be my last time playing there.”
He acknowledged that his ideas may need to change, saying, “In recent years, my plans have had to deviate greatly from what I would have liked.” Because of this, we must strive to make the best decisions possible while being adaptable.
The Spaniard went on, “I have to decide in the end.” Ultimately, I am the one who needs to make mistakes since I am the one who is playing. Going somewhere unprepared physically bothers me. In tennis, it’s expected to arrive precisely on time, but I don’t want to be horrible physically.