Rafael Nadal will lead a Spanish Navy with six members and will seek his fourth title at the Indian Wells Masters 1000 starting this weekend, which will have a new champion after the loss due to injury of Argentine Juan Martín del Potro.
Without the Tandilense, suffering from problems in his right knee, the tournament will crown a new king, with the Spanish, the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Swiss Roger Federer as the top favorites to succeed Delpo in one of the players’ favorite tournaments. .
Djokovic, champion at the Australian Open a month and a half ago, will appear in the Californian desert as the first seed and with the mystery of not having played since then, after having prioritized spending time with his family.
The winner of the latest Laureus award is backed by having five Indian Wells titles to his name and having dominated the circuit since last June. Since then he has participated in 10 tournaments, with seven finals and five victories to his credit, including Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens.
In addition, the Serbian will have the incentive to be able to equal Nadal’s record of 33 titles in Masters 1000 tournaments.
But Djokovic will not have an easy path: the Balkan has fallen on the opposite side of the box from Federer and Nadal but, in his hypothetical way to the final, he would theoretically have to face off against Australian Nick Kyrgios in the third round, Frenchman Gael Monfils in fourth, Austrian Dominic Thiem in fourth and German Alexander Zverev, South African Kevin Anderson or Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in semis.
– “I’m not superman” –
Meanwhile, in case of advancing, the Swiss and the Spanish would see each other in the penultimate instance but they would have an easier path to that phase.
Nadal, who was swept by Djokovic in the final in Australia, is looking to regain his best level after a 2018 plagued by injuries and falling last week in the second round at the Mexican Open in a controversial match against Kyrgios.
“I shouldn’t be unhappy, more or less, to be where I am after all the things that have happened to me lately. (I have had) too many problems in my body in the last year and a half but I have managed to stay competitive and continue in a good position in the ranking, fighting for the majority of important events, “Nadal told the media on Wednesday.
The second-seeded Spaniard already missed Indian Wells last year due to injury and in this edition he will make his debut against local Jared Donaldson or a qualifier.
Federer, meanwhile, landed in the Californian desert tournament with his morale through the roof after winning his 100th career title in Dubai. But he prefers, as always, to keep his feet on the ground.
“The problem is that people always elevate athletes to the status of Superman, as if we were supermen and stuff,” the Swiss told the press.
«I don’t see myself like that, perfection doesn’t exist. We all have defects and so do I (…) It is an achievement that I never thought I would achieve and that I only thought about nine months or a year ago, when I had already won 96 or 97, “he added.
– Osaka, where it all started –
In the women’s division, the Japanese Naomi Osaka, number one in the WTA, will once again be the favorite in the championship where her dominance on the circuit started last season.
Since then, it has been crazy for me. It seems like it was ten years ago, “said the Japanese on Thursday.
In a final between two of the most promising young women on the tennis scene, Osaka then defeated the Russian Daria Kasatkina in straight sets, winning her first Premier category tournament and beginning an idyll with the victory that also led her to be crowned later in the United States Open and, in January, also the Australian Open.
Now, in the desert, he could once again meet the Romanian Simona Halep (N.2), the Czech Petra Kvitová (N.3) or the American Sloane Stephens (N.4), his main opponents for the victory … without forgetting also local Serena Williams (N.10), who will face each other in the second round against the always competitive Victoria Azarenka.
The Spanish-Venezuelan Garbiñe Muguruza (N. 20) will try on her side to regain her best form after a 2018 to forget. AFP