Can Rafael Nadal win the 2019 Indian Wells Masters?
By Harry Floyd
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal is off to a great start at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters. Can he keep it up all the way to a title though?
Prior to the start of the 2019 Indian Wells Masters, we decided that Rafael Nadal has a lot to play for right now. He has momentum in the form of motivation and he is of course one of the greatest players in all of tennis. So far at Indian Wells, Nadal is off to a winning start.
Defeating American Jared Donaldson with ease in his opener, the second seeded Nadal cruised right into the round of 32. Then, Rafa took on a much tougher challenger in the 25th seeded Diego Schwartzman and the Spanish great struck again. He defeated Donaldson in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-1, and then knocked out Schwartzman, going 6-3, 6-1.
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What a start to his time at the Indian Wells Masters this year. Rafa may be playing backseat favorite to the current world number one and red hot Novak Djokovic. That should not, however, factor into his intentions at the tournament in his upcoming matches.
Sure, if both Nadal and Djokovic reach the finals, then we have something else to discuss. For now though, Rafa is right in the mix in terms of favorites to take the title.
Nadal won the BNP Paribas Open in 2007, 2009, and 2013. Djokovic is a five-time winner, as is Swiss legend Roger Federer. Both Djokovic and Federer are yet to complete their round of 32 matches.
Federer takes on a tough opponent in fellow countryman Stan Wawrinka next. As for Djokovic, his postponed match with Philipp Kohlschreiber has been rescheduled to resume on Tuesday at the Indian Wells Masters. Two major contenders have been ousted and their absence could pave the way for Nadal, Djokovic, or Federer.
Seeing a surprise early exit, rising ATP star Alexander Zverev has been ousted from the action. He was the third seed this year at Indian Wells. Read more about his loss here. Then, the sixth seeded and surging Kei Nishikori falls to Hubert Hurkacz in the round of 32.
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Nadal is certainly capable of taking the title in men’s singles at the Indian Wells Masters. His first two matches prove that he has brought his best tennis to the table this year. Lookout for Nadal moving forward and keep an eye on both Djokovic and Federer’s upcoming matches.