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Angel Todorov
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Rafa Nadal withdraws from the Indian Wells
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The Spaniard shared that he can’t lie to himself and the fans.

Rafael Nadal is out and will not play at the BNP Paribas Open as he withdrew on the eve of his 1st-round game at Indian Wells, admitting on social media that he doesn’t find himself “ready to compete at the highest level at such a huge tournament.

“Everyone sees how much I like this place and how much I love to compete here,” Rafa shared on Twitter on Wednesday night. “That’s also 1 of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to train and try to prepare for the event.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champ, who has competed in just 12 official games since the 2022 US Open, was coming off an exhibition defeat vs. Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on Sunday.

“We are sad to hear that Nadal is unable to compete in the BNP Paribas Open, but we wish him all the best and believe he can return to the court soon,” tournament director Tommy Haas shared.

The Spaniard was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Sumit Nagal, who will play against Milos Raonic on Thursday.