Rafael Nadal is set to play at the BNP Paribas at Indian Wells this week, marking his second attempt at returning to professional tennis after a long absence. Earlier this year, the Spaniard had plans to begin his season in Brisbane before moving to the Australian Open, but had to pull out after the first game due to an injury. Since then, he has pulled out of several events, but it seems he may be ready to get back in the game now. 

Nadal’s first opponent at Indian Wells will be former world number three Milos Raonic. Nadal and Raonic have met ten times in the past, and Nadal won 8 of those matches. The last time the duo met was in 2019, and Nadal won that round, as he did the round before that. 

Raonic, currently ranked 222 in the world, might prove to be a challenge for Rafa as he is currently one of the best servers in the game. Also, one has to take into consideration the fact that Nadal is still healing from his injury and might not be in perfect shape. Notwithstanding, Nadal is not one to be underestimated by any account, and Raonic would have to play one of the best games when they meet on March 6 in the first round. 

The schedule for Nadal’s possible opponents include Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Denis Shapovalov, and Carlos Alcaraz. No doubt, these are some of the best players currently in the game, and they would prove to be quite challenging for the 22-time grand slam winner, but Nadal has had tougher competitions where he came out victorious. 

What fans of Nadal now would hope for is that he is able to see the event through and would only leave when he faces defeat, rather than pulling out due to an injury, or threat of it, as that could mean he would miss other events that are close, including, possibly, the French Open.

Leon Osamor