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Alize Cornet had a fan moment when she watched Rafael Nadal practice on the courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Thursday, February 29.
Nadal made a comeback to the tour in January 2024 after a year-long absence due to a hip injury that required surgery. However, a new hip injury sustained during his quarterfinal match against Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International halted his hopes of winning his third Australian Open title.
The former World No. 1 later announced his withdrawal from the Australian Open and Qatar Open.
Cornet’s 2024 season so far has been a mixed bag, as she started the year with a first-round loss at the Australian Open, where she lost to Russia's Maria Timofeeva in straight sets. The 34-year-old then bounced back by reaching the Round of 16 of the Transylvania Open in Romania, where she lost to top seed Arantxa Rus in three sets.
The current World No. 104 recently faced another early exit at the ATX Open in Texas, losing to Columbia's Camila Osorio in straight sets.
Cornet shared a clip on Instagram on February 29 showing her watching the 22-time Grand Slam champion practice from the stands, as she captured the Spaniard hitting forehands at the court.
"First thing in the morning when you get to Indian Wells 😍" Cornet wrote.
Rafael Nadal has 'no choice' but to return to action at Indian Wells and Las Vegas exhibition, says uncle Toni
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, has emphasized the need for the Spaniard to return to the sport after a prolonged absence.
Nadal is set to participate in the Indian Wells Masters following an exhibition event with Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on March 3. In a recent interview, Toni emphasized that the former World No. 1 has no alternative but to compete at Indian Wells to achieve his goal of being the best in the game.
“It's that he needs to compete. He has no choice. He hasn't done it for too long. And of course, if you don't compete, you can't be prepared,” he told AS.
In addition, Toni expressed optimism for his nephew's performance in two major upcoming tournaments: the French Open and the Paris Olympics.
“I prefer to say that he is going to win [the French Open]. Then we'll see. I know it's difficult, but I always try to be positive and I hope that my nephew can play a great role both in the Games and at Roland Garros,” he added.
