An expected return and against an attractive opponent! Who will Nadal face in Indian Wells?

I hope it works on the second try. Nadal comeback was short-lived in January. All the more reason to anticipate his start at Indian Wells. Moreover, fate has assigned the Spanish tennis legend a very attractive opponent. Milos Raonic. What is good to know about him?

Nadal in Indian Wells

The tennis legend named Rafael Nadal is most associated with clay. However, he has also experienced a lot of success on the hard surface in California.

At the Masters here, the Mallorca native has already managed to win the title three times. These are admittedly quite bearded victories – after all, the last of Nadal’s triumphs came in 2013 – yet the return of the 37-year-old tennis player is the number one event here.

At the moment, you’ll find the Spaniard as high as seventh in the rankings. This year, for example, he only played a tournament in Brisbane, where he reached the semi-finals. He can only dream of being a seeded player.

A slight advantage for him in this respect is the fact that the top 32 tennis players in the tournament will avoid fighting in the first round. By the way, the best of the Czechs is among this group.

Still, he won’t have an easy opponent. He is also a tennis player who has experienced great successes and some serious health setbacks. This is the Canadian Raonic.

Nadal’s opponent for the first round

Milos Raonic is a former world number three. But his career has also been negatively affected by an enforced hiatus. The Canadian had to miss top tennis for two years due to health reasons. Since last summer, he has been trying to make up for lost ground, but as is common in these cases, it is not easy.

Especially when the health problems keep coming back. Raonic participated in two tennis events this year and in both of them he did not finish the tournament because of his health.

On the other hand, he has a win over Kazakhstan’s Bublik, which is not a small thing considering this year’s results. The hard surface is an ideal environment for the Canadian and his dreaded serve.

The bottom line is that Nadal will not have an easy start in California. Tennis fans, on the other hand, definitely have something to look forward to. The match in Indian Wells is part of Wednesday’s schedule.

Source: BNP Paribas Open