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Rafael Nadal has been handed a rather complicated draw at the upcoming Indian Wells Masters.
Nadal's previous appearance at the ATP 1000 event came in 2022. On that occasion, the 22-time Grand Slam champion reached the final. However, an inspired Taylor Fritz got the better of him to clinch the title.
In 2023, the three-time Indian Wells winner was forced to skip the event after sustaining a severe hip injury at the Australian Open. This time around, the Spaniard has battled back from another injury he suffered at the Brisbane International to be fit in time for the event.
Nadal will face Milos Raonic in the first round. If he beats the Canadian, Holger Rune will be his second-round opponent. Another win would see Nadal face either Denis Shapovalov or Lorenzo Musetti. A fourth-round appearance could see him run into his 2022 final opponent Fritz or Sebastian Baez.
From the quarterfinals onwards, the Spaniard could meet the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, and Hubert Hurkacz. If he makes the final, he could be pitted against Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, or Andrey Rublev.
Nadal fans on X (formerly Twitter) were rather disappointed upon the release of the Indian Wells draw. One fan wished that the Spaniard had Novak Djokovic's luck.
"I wish that Rafa Nadal had the luck of Novak Djokovic," they wrote.
Another claimed that Nadal's 2024 Indian Wells draw was the hardest they'd ever seen.
"Hardest draw I've ever seen," the fan opined.
Another fan reflected on the brutal nature of the draw.
"That's as brutal as it gets," they lamented.
Here are some more fan reactions:
Rafael Nadal loses The Netflix Slam to Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal recently featured in The Netflix Slam alongside World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The exhibition match took place in Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Kay Adams and Prakash Amritraj hosted the event. Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, and Mary Joe Fernandez made up the English commentary and analysis team, while David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez provided Spanish commentary.
Despite the event's exhibition status, Nadal and Alcaraz played a highly competitive match, with the younger Spaniard eventually winning 3-6, 6-4 (14-12). The duo could clash again at the Indian Wells Masters, but only in the final.
