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Rafael Nadal recently added an unexpected twist to his routine by trying out golf as a means of relaxation after a practice session at Indian Wells.
The Spaniard is gearing up for his second ATP tournament of the year. Following a year on the sidelines due to injury, Nadal made his return to the sport at the 2024 Brisbane International. He defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the first and second rounds but was defeated by Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinal.
Nadal sustained an injury during the quarterfinal tie that kept him out of the Australian Open and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which he had initially planned to compete in.
The 37-year-old recently posted a picture of himself and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic jetting off to America for Indian Wells. Nadal also shared clips from his training sessions on social media.
On Saturday, the Spaniard posted a video on his Instagram feed featuring him taking a shot on a beautiful golf course in Indian Wells, California. He captioned the video mentioning he had the chance to relax after practice and play golf.
“Yesterday... I had the chance to relax after practice and play some golf at this amazing place. Back to practice this morning,” He captioned
Before the Indian Wells Open kicks off on March 6, the former World No.1 is set to face his compatriot and current World No. 2, Carlos Alcaraz, in an exhibition match called the Netflix Slam at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Rafael Nadal has won the Indian Wells Open thrice
Since his first participation in 2004, Rafael Nadal has gone on to compete in 15 other editions of the Indian Wells Masters and has clinched the title three times.
He secured his first Indian Wells Open title in 2007 when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. His second title came in 2009 when he beat Britain's Andy Murray in the final.
The last time the Spaniard lifted the title was in 2013 when he defeated the likes of Ryan Harrison, Leonardo Mayer, Ernests Gulbis, Roger Federer, and Tomáš Berdych before overcoming Juan Martín del Potro in the final.
With the 37-year-old holding three trophies, he is the only active player behind Novak Djokovic's tally. The World No. 1 is all set to participate this year and is currently tied with Roger Federer, who retired in 2022, with 5 trophies.
