Indian Wells 2024: 4 players who have withdrawn during the tournament ft. Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina
The 2024 Indian Wells Open is underway. However, the powerhouse tournament on both the ATP and WTA tour has seen many notable players withdraw.
The BNP Paribas Open is the first 1000-level tournament on the 2024 ATP tour and the third on the 2024 WTA tour. It was set to see many star players compete, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Venus Williams, Carlos Alcaraz, and more.
However, many have been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to various injuries. The tournament is on Day 4 at the time of writing, and we might have many more players pull out in the coming days.
With that said, here's a look at the top four players to have withdrawn from the 2024 Indian Wells Open:
#4 Marketa Vondrousova
Unlike some others on this list, Marketa Vondrousova did take the court in Indian Wells this year. As the No. 7 seed, the Czech received a first-round bye and faced Bernarda Pera in the second round on March 9. The reigning Wimbledon champion looked unstoppable and registered a thumping 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour.
However, she unexpectedly withdrew from the tournament ahead of her third-round match against No. 31 seed Marta Kostyuk. No clear reason has been provided for the 24-year-old's withdrawal. As a result, Kostyuk has moved into the fourth round, where she will face either Beatriz Haddad Maia or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
#3 Milos Raonic
Milos Raonic came to Indian Wells to play his third tournament of the year and faced lucky loser Sumit Nagal in the first round. Nagal, who took Rafael Nadal's place in the draw, was bamboozled by Raonic's impeccable serving. The Canadian hit nine aces and broke the Indian's serve three times to wrap up his third win of the year, 6-3, 6-3.
Raonic's good run was again halted by injury. He pulled out of his second-round match with the No. 7 seed Holger Rune because of a calf strain. This was the 33-year-old's third consecutive withdrawal from a tournament after he retired at the Australian Open and the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam due to a hip injury. Rune will face Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.
#2 Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina has had a great start to the season, winning the Brisbane International and the Adu Dhabi Open and reaching the final at the Qatar Open. She was expected to continue that good form and defend her title at the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
However, a gastrointestinal illness prevented the Kazakh from playing in the tournament. Her withdrawal was not entirely unexpected, as she had also pulled out of the Eisenhower Cup or Tiebreaker Tens exhibition event before the BNP Paribas Open. The World No. 4 was replaced by lucky loser Kayla Day.
#1 Rafael Nadal
Perhaps the biggest name to withdraw from the 2024 Indian Wells Open is Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard was all set to play his second tournament of the year and take the court after his third-round exit at the Brisbane International in early January. Nadal, a three-time Indian Wells Masters champion, even traveled to the Californian desert and was spotted training on the eve of main draw action.
The former World No. 1 pulled out of his first-round match against Milos Raonic after feeling that his body was not ready to return to professional tennis just yet. Before the BNP Paribas Open, Rafael Nadal played against Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition event called the Netflix Slam. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was replaced by Sumit Nagal.