Rafael Nadal touches down in 'Tennis Paradise' ahead of Indian Wells 2024, hits practice courts on arrival

Rafael Nadal recently touched down in Tennis Paradise ahead of the 2024 Indian Wells. He also hit the practice courts on his arrival.

After being sidelined from the tennis circuit since the beginning of 2023 due to a hip injury sustained during the 2023 Australian Open, which required arthroscopic surgery, Nadal made his comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International.

The Spaniard kicked off his return by teaming up with compatriot Marc Lopez in doubles but fell to the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in straight sets in their opening match.

In singles, the former World No. 1 defeated Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-1 in the first round before cruising past home favorite Jason Kubler 6-1, 6-2 in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals. However, the 22-time Grand Slam champion's campaign ended in the last eight when Jordan Thompson defeated him in three sets.

During the quarterfinal clash, he suffered a muscle tear, an injury which led him to withdraw from both the Australian Open and the Qatar Open. The 37-year-old is set to return to the tennis circuit at the BNP Paribas Open, a tournament he has won three times — in 2007, 2009, and 2013.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, who is also making his comeback to Tennis Paradise after five years, recently took to social media to share a photo of himself and Nadal on the same flight en route to the ATP 1000 tournament.

"Great company on the way to USA 🇺🇸 😎💪🎾 @rafaelnadal #idemooo #vamos @indianwellstennisgarden @atptour," Djokovic captioned his Instagram post.

The Mallorcan later posted a picture of himself practicing on the courts at the Sensei Porcupine Creek after arriving in the USA.

"Here we are. It is #TennisParadise 🌴 🎾 ," he captioned his Instagram post.

A video of the Spaniard practicing was also shared on social media.

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Rafael Nadal to play Netflix Slam against Carlos Alcaraz ahead of Indian Wells 2024

Mutua Madrid Open 2021

Rafael Nadal will face Carlos Alcaraz at the Netflix Slam ahead of the 2024 Indian Wells.

The live sporting event is scheduled to take place on March 3, and will be hosted by the MGM Resorts International. The Netflix Slam will be broadcast live from the Michelob ULTRA Arena, located within the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

In addition to the Netflix Slam, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will compete in another exhibition match later this year, the '6 Kings Slam' which will be held in Riyadh. The other participants in the event will be Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.