Realigning focus: Rafael Nadal hits clay courts as attention turns after Indian Wells withdrawal

Rafael Nadal has seemingly moved on quickly from the disappointment of not being able to play at the 2024 Indian Wells Open with the Spanish tennis legend heading onto the clay for practice straight away.

Nadal has dominated the surface since he lifted his first French Open title back in 2005 and the 14-time Roland Garros champion despite only playing one tournament all season will still be one of the favourites to lift the title in May in Paris.

But also he will likely aim to play a full schedule beforehand with Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid very much likely for the Spaniard which made his decision to attempt to play Indian Wells all the more puzzling. Many expect Nadal to call time on his career after the Paris Olympics towards the Autumn which is also on clay and aside from Wimbledon now, there is mostly clay court action there for Nadal. "Clay... Tierra..." Nadal captioned the clip on Instagram.