“I’ve been here for more than a week, but I always enjoy Indian Wells. It’s definitely one of my favorite tournaments. I go day by day, I just try to enjoy the moment. Being in this position is unexpected for me, so I try to to enjoy it every day”, said Rafael Nadal in the last few hours.
It is time to extend his unbeatable 2022. With an impeccable start to the season, the Spaniard (4th in the world ranking) places first in Indian Wells. He will face Sebastian Korda who debuted with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in one hour and 29 minutes.
The American, No. 38 in the world, and the Iberian already had the opportunity to face each other at Roland Garros 2020. At that time, the Spanish prevailed forcefully 6-1, 6-1 and 6-2.
In the run-up to his debut in the competition, the man from Manacor also spoke about his present and the injury that affected him last season. “I tried to stay as positive as possible and that’s it. Last year I didn’t run or work on foot movements. After Roland Garros, I couldn’t walk for two weeks. He wasn’t ready to go to Washington or Toronto, but he wanted to give it a try. The two months of training before those tournaments were terrible“, expressed the winner of 21 Grand Slam championships. “After that, winning in Australia was really important, but being able to be competitive and enjoy the competition was what really excited me. Poder to be able to play in a huge stadium full of fans.
Regarding his current level, the Spaniard analyzed: “My serve is working really well, which is really important at this point in my career. Also, I think I’ve been brave enough to be able to play with the necessary determination. I just keep working very hard to keep improving, but I’m happy with the level of tennis and the intensity that I’m showing on the court.”
The winner of this clash will face the Argentine Federico Coria (65th) or the British Daniel Evans (29th).
