"What would happen if Novak Djokovic did the same?", "Hypocrite" - Journalist's silence on Rafael Nadal's Indian Wells withdrawal irks fans

Some Tennis fans have reacted angrily to a prominent journalist's silence after Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters.

Nadal looked all set to compete at the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournament after playing The Netflix Slam exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz on March 3. However, the former World No. 1 pulled out of the tournament a day ahead of his first-round match against Milos Raonic.

Since sustaining a muscle tear in his hip during his Brisbane International quarterfinal against Jordan Thompson, Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open, the Qatar Open, and now the Indian Wells Masters. However, the fact that he managed to show up for The Netflix Slam has prompted angry reactions, with some fans accusing the Spaniard of being money-minded.

Prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg has inadvertently added fuel to the fire. In a social media post, he wrote about Nadal's withdrawal from Indian Wells.

"After playing The Netflix Slam exhibition match, Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells where he had been set to face Raonic tomorrow." Rothenberg wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Some fans were quick to recall Rothenberg's outrage at Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters in 2022.

"The men's draw here will remain unbalanced as a result; #7 Rublev will be the highest seed in that bottom quarter," Rothenberg had tweeted after Djokovic's withdrawal in 2022.

"This delay made for a deeply unnecessary 24 hours of reigniting this nonsense," he had added.

As a result, several fans are now questioning Rothenberg's lack of criticism towards Nadal's withdrawal. One user questioned how journalists would perceive Djokovic if he did what Nadal has done.

"#Nadal pulls out of Indian Wells AFTER the draw, after playing an exhibition 4 days ago and giving tennis lessons for astronomical prices. (!?!) How come tennis journalists have no problem with this situation? What would happen if Novak did the same?"

Another user called Rothenberg out for his silence, labeling the journalist a 'hypocrite'.

"But where is your outrage about his late withdrawal? Or is that only reserved for certain people? Hypocrite."

Yet another user slammed the journalist for being 'spineless.'

"You’re such a spineless individual and the way you cover this fraud. Jelena was right - you’re just a bully."

Here are more reactions from tennis fans:

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Rafael Nadal's withdrawal gives Sumit Nagal a chance to shine against Milos Raonic

Sumit Nagal at the 2024 Australian Open

Sumit Nagal, currently India's highest-ranked tennis player, will get the chance to make the most of Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters.

Nagal lost against Hong Seong-chan in the second round of qualifying 6-2, 2-6, 6-7(4). However, after Nadal pulled out of the tournament, the Indian, ranked World No. 101, entered the main draw as a lucky loser.

Nagal will face off against Canadian Milos Raonic, who has entered the main draw on a protected ranking.

The 26-year-old made waves in January when he beat 31st seed Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Australian Open. That made Nagal the first Indian to beat a seeded player in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam since 1989.