Will the Milos Raonic threat see Rafael Nadal’s early exit at the Indian Wells?

The two matches Raonic has lost have been due to the Canadian retiring midway through his match. While Raonic retired in the first-round match at the 2024 Australian Open after splitting sets with Alex de Minaur, the Canadian challenged eventual winner Jannik Sinner at the Rotterdam Open before deciding to quit.

Now, Raonic will be pumped up to register an emphatic win. The big server will pose a threat to Nadal, who has not been able to spend enough time on the tour before the big match.

How has Rafael Nadal fared against Milos Raonic?

Rafael Nadal has enjoyed an upper hand over Milos Raonic as the Spaniard leads the head-to-head record 8-2. However, Raonic has managed to beat Nadal two out of the last five times they have played against each other.

The Canadian’s first-ever win against Nadal also came at Indian Wells when Raonic beat the 22-time Grand Slam champion in the quarterfinal of the 2015 edition of the tournament in three sets despite trailing 0-1 after the first set.

It is also worth mentioning that Raonic has played some of his best tennis in Indian Wells, where the lively conditions suit his big-serving game, reaching one final, three semi-finals, and one quarter-final in his past five outings. Although he has not played in the desert since 2019, Raonic will fancy his chances.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal will draw inspiration from his recent performance at the Netflix Slam , where the 37-year-old managed to win a set against Carlos Alcaraz.