Injury too much for Rafa; out of Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal could beat them all, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, could beat practically every opponent he faced. Except one. His own body.   

The problem for Rafa the last year isn’t another guy on the court, it is himself getting on the court.

He was going to return to competition this week at the BNP Paribas Open, which started Wednesday at Indian Wells, supposedly having recovered at last from the hip injury suffered at the 2023 Australian Open. Yes, 2023, 13 months ago.

Everything was lined up. He would start against one-time Wimbledon finalist, Milos Ronicl, the Canadian, who also had hip trouble, if not as severe as Rafa.

Then Wednesday night, the BNP and Nadal announced he had withdrawn.

There were the usual condolences. “It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament,” was Nadal's statement.

There also were the usual questions.

Is this, as people suggested during the long absence, the end of Nadal’s brilliant career?

Even before the fateful Australian Open Nadal had a series of injuries, disappointing but not surprising for someone who this May will be 38 and plays tennis as aggressively as an NFL linebacker plays defense.`

Then came the big one, the hip.

Rafa was special, along with Federer and Djokovic, one of the Big Three in the men’s game, so important in a sport where there are no home teams but there are home fans, whose appreciation soars on the skills and personalities of athletes from around the globe. It didn’t matter to the public that Nadal was from Spain — in fact it was a part of his appeal— only that he could chase a backhand down the line and return it with a flourish and hit a thundering forehand for a winner.

There are no home games in the individual sports of tennis, golf, and boxing. There are, however, home fans. They find their guy, or lady, and stay loyal until the end.

Which this could be for Nadal, who has won 22 Grand Slam tournaments, two fewer than Djokovic, who after all his nonsense about his refusal to be vaccinated, returns to Indian Wells.

You dare not predict the future, especially in sports, but one suspects we may never see the return of Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells. Or any other tournament.

He spoke in his apology of sadness. That’s a word all too appropriate for all of tennis.