Rafael Nadal has momentum heading into the Indian Wells Masters
By Harry Floyd
Spanish superstar and world number two Rafael Nadal has plenty of momentum heading into action at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters.
Can Rafael Nadal win the 2019 Indian Wells Masters? He’s done it before, three times in fact. Nadal won the title in men’s singles at the BNP Paribas Open in 2007, 2009, and 2013. While he may not be the odds on favorite this year, Rafa sure stands a decent chance at a fourth title in Indian Wells.
The favorite, Novak Djokovic, is a five-time champion at the event. He is also red hot right now. Nadal may not have the same type of momentum that Nole does, but he is in a good position. So far on the year, Nadal is 7-2 in his men’s singles matches.
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Most recently, Nadal was ousted by young Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios at the Mexican Open. Their three set match was one for the ages and the loss shouldn’t do much if anything to hurt the Spanish great. He ought to use the heartbreaker match with Kyrgios as a source of motivation heading into the Indian Wells Masters.
Prior to play in Acapulco, Nadal finished runner-up to Djokovic at the 2019 Australian Open. During his time at Melbourne Park, Rafa didn’t drop a single set until his meeting with Djokovic in the finals.
Even though Nole emerged victorious, Nadal proved once again that he is one of the best players on the ATP Tour nowadays. He and Djokovic need to be considered the players to beat this month at Indian Wells.
Roger Federer is also someone to watch as he comes off of his 100th career singles title. Nadal may have an edge that both Djokovic and Federer lack though. That edge comes from being just on the cusp of greatness so far in 2019.
Indian Wells provides Rafa a chance to reassert himself as the top contender in men’s singles tennis. If he can reach the finals or notch a fourth career title there, lookout for Nadal moving forward. We are entering that time of year when the King of Clay begins to really heat up and carry any and all momentum toward the French Open.
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Stay tuned to see how Rafael Nadal fares at the upcoming Indian Wells Masters. He needs to be at his best, but he has been as of late. Look for him to make a statement early on in the men’s singles tournament action.