Rafa Nadal expressed his desire to steer clear of any injuries during his time at
Indian Wells
, aiming to maintain full fitness for the upcoming clay court season. This phase holds particular significance as it may mark his final year on the
ATP
Tour.
At 37 years old, with 14 out of his 22 Grand Slam titles secured on the red clay of
Roland Garros
, Nadal hinted at the possibility of nearing the end of his illustrious career.
He notably sat out this year's Australian Open due to discomfort stemming from his surgically repaired hip.
"For me, the priority is to try to get out of Indian Wells unscathed," Nadal was quoted as saying on Eurosport ahead of his exhibition match against fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas on Sunday.
"Whatever has to be left, leave it in the clay season, which may or may not be the last, I have not decided 100%. At the moment things are going that way," Nadal said in Spanish at a press conference ahead of the Netflix Slam event.
"I'm not saying goodbye because then I'd say I'm not playing anymore. This is an important point and I don't want to say it because I'm not 100% clear about it.
"In the last two years, I haven't been able to play. Life is showing you the path."
Former world number one Nadal is a three-time Indian Wells champion and plays his first round match on Thursday at the tournament in the Southern California desert.
He has previously said his goal was to play the French Open and the Paris Olympics this year.
"How did I imagine my farewell? At first, I didn't imagine it because when you start to imagine something, it means that the closer you are to it," he said.
"It wasn't something I had in mind. I would like to say goodbye well, being competitive and enjoying myself on the court. Whether that can be or not, time will tell."
(With inputs from Reuters)
English (US) ·