"Rafael Nadal has always treated everyone with a lot of respect" - Andy Murray hails Spaniard for his impeccable sportsmanship

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have been in the top echelons of tennis for the past two decades. Before Nadal's withdrawal from the 2024 Indian Wells Open, the British star praised his sportsmanship on and off the court.

Nadal withdrew from the Indian Wells Open on Thursday. While announcing his withdrawal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion stated that he has been working hard, practicing and also taking some tests but doesn't feel ready to compete at the highest level.

Murray was recently interviewed at the tournament and an X (formerly Twitter) user posted a portion of the interview online on Thursday. He said that Nadal has been a good example of how to treat players, officials and fans. The Brit also spoke about how well Nadal handles disappointments, such as bad line calls and loss of form.

“How we as players are on the court and treat people around it, whether it's officials or fans or whatever, I think he's been an incredible example in that sense," Murray said.

How he's dealt with disappointment on the tennis court, bad line calls, loss of form, etc. I think that he's done an amazing, amazing job with that,” Murray added.

The three-time Grand Slam champion added that Nadal's work ethic and fighting spirit stand out. Murray pointed out that he does an excellent job of concealing his emotions even when frustrated, and has consistently treated everyone with respect.

"They're probably the things that would stand out for me, definitely his work ethic, fighting spirit, but the way that he has gone about it as well.

"There's obviously a lot of frustration there, but he does a great job of not showing it and has always treated everyone around the court with a lot of respect, which is admirable,” Murray said.

Murray won his first-round match at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters against David Goffin 6-3, 6-2. He will now face Andrey Rublev in the second round on Friday.

This year marks Murray's 16th appearance at the tournament. He reached the final in 2009 but was defeated by Nadal.

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Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal's rivalry

Mutua Madrid Open - Day Eight

Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have faced each other 24 times on the ATP tour, with Nadal winning 17 of those meetings.

The first time they faced off was in the Round of 16 at the 2007 Australian Open, where Nadal emerged victorious. The last time they faced off was in 2016 when Murray defeated the Spaniard in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters.

Andy Murray has had an illustrious career, winning 46 career titles, including three Grand Slams. He has also secured two Olympic gold medals while representing Great Britain.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has won 92 titles on the ATP Tour, including 22 Grand Slams. He has also secured an Olympic gold medal for Spain.