Sinner, the video circulated in recent hours on social media went straight to the hearts of fans: he was stronger than he was.
All the champions who matter are there, at the Tennis Garden. All but one. He was supposed to be there, but on the eve of the big day he realized he wasn’t ready yet. And so, with a handwritten message on social media, Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters 1000.
A story that seems familiar to us because familiar is the way in which, slowly, his career seems to be heading toward its natural conclusion. Just like that of his friend and longtime rival Roger Federer, if you will. “I’ve been working hard, training and testing this weekend,” the Manacor left-hander wrote on Instagram, “but I don’t feel ready to play at the highest level in such an important event. It’s not an easy decision, it’s tough, but I can’t lie to myself and the thousands of fans.” And it is fair to wonder, at this point, if this ordeal will come to an end or if he will soon be able, finally, to get on the court to play a few more tournaments before the curtain finally falls on his career.
The Tennis Garden suddenly found itself orphaned, then, of one of its most anticipated players. Good thing, at least that, that some fans were lucky enough to cross paths with him in Indian Wells, considering that until a few hours ago, before he announced his retirement, he was training in the California desert.
Sinner did it again: impossible to resist
At the other side of the Ocean with him were his wife and son, Rafa Jr, who is now two years old and already enjoying being on the court like dad. Not with tennis balls, though, but with a soccer ball that looks almost bigger than he is.
Sinner-Nadal? Yes but not the match you think
The Spanish tennis player’s son enjoys playing with Sinner⚽️EurosportTENNIS Sinner Nadal pic. twitter.com/3jg06jPzK4
– Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) March 6, 2024
And guess with whom, all of a sudden, Nadal’s eldest son wanted to take two shots? With our own Jannik Sinner, who was nearby when Maria Francisca took the little guy out to play a little. A video shot by someone present on the sidelines showed, once again, how much the South Tyrolean likes to relate to children.
He spent some time with baby Rafa, greeted the Iberian’s wife, and the footage, needless to say, moved the web. As much as it moved, later, the news of the Manacor champion’s withdrawal from Indian Wells, which many interpreted as the beginning of the end. But will it really be so?