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The BNP Paribas Open heats up in Indian Wells.

This year from rain to withdraws, it’s already stirred up a lot of conversation for one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world.

Despite the unforeseen hiccups, all the main draw action continued Thursday afternoon.

Many players in the tournament drew international attention, but one athlete in particular was in the spotlight Wednesday evening.

That’s 22-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal, who withdrew from the tournament, just 24 hours before his first round match against Milos Raonic, Thursday evening.

Nadal hasn’t stepped foot to play a match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden since 2022 when he lost to American Taylor Fritz in the finals.

He made his way to the desert to practice late last month, but after assessing his play, just after 6pm Monday evening, he took to social media to announce his withdraw from the tournament.

Fans we spoke to Thursday afternoon had mixed feelings about the 3-time BNP Paribas Open Champion’s withdraw.

Rafael Nadal Fans Share Mixed Reviews About His BNP Paribas Open Withdraw