"Work in progress" - Rafael Nadal posts training video ahead of Las Vegas exhibition and Indian Wells return, ft. Taylor Swift's 'Ready For It?'

Rafael Nadal shared a video of his intense training session at his tennis academy in Mallorca, where he is preparing for a blockbuster exhibition match against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas. He is also set to return to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he has won three times in the past.

Interestingly, the video featured Taylor Swift's song 'Ready for It?' in the background.

Nadal made his comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International after a year-long hiatus. The Spaniard defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the first two rounds, before losing in three sets to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. During the match, the 37-year-old suffered a muscle tear in his left hip, which later prompted him to miss the Australian Open and Qatar Open.

The Spaniard has a busy schedule ahead of him, starting with the Las Vegas exhibition against compatriot Alcaraz. The event, dubbed "The Netflix Slam", will take place on March 3 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, and will be streamed live on Netflix.

The exhibition will serve as a warm-up for Nadal, who will then head to Indian Wells, California, for the BNP Paribas Open, which will run from March 6 to 17 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won the title there three times, in 2007, 2009, and 2013, and will be looking to add a fourth trophy to his portfolio.

The Spaniard shared a clip of hitting forehand drills on an indoor court at the Rafa Nadal Academy. He captioned the video with the Taylor Swift song '...Ready for It?' playing in the background and wrote:

"Work in progress 🎯 Las Vegas & Indian Wells 👀"

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Rafael Nadal's 2024 season could well be his last on tour

The Spaniard at the 2023 Australian Open

Rafael Nadal recently hinted that he might quit the sport after the 2024 season.

During an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena COPE on February 14, the Spaniard said that he was leaning towards ending his career this year. The 22-time Grand Slam champion added that he would wait until the French Open this year to make a final decision.

"This is going to be my last year but I don't confirm it 100%. I will go day by day. I'll say it before Roland Garros," the Spaniard told Cadena COPE. "I give myself a few months of caution. You know that things can happen, so I can't define things months in advance after a year without competing."