"I am sad": Rafael Nadal to miss Indian Wells and Miami 

Rafael Nadal won’t be back until the European clay-court season.

The 22-time major champion withdrew from Indian Wells on Tuesday, needing more time to recover from the left leg injury he sustained during the Australian Open.

Said tournament director Tommy Haas, “We wish Rafa continued healing, and hope to see him back at the BNP Paribas Open next year.”

Nadal hadn't officially pulled out from the Miami Open when news broke, but he soon tweeted, “I am sad that I won’t be able to compete at Indian Wells nor Miami. Very sad not to be there. I’ll miss all my US fans but I hope to see them later this year during the summer swing.”

Nadal will conceivably exit the Top 10 for the first time since entering the elite group on April 25, 2005. Ranked No. 8 this week after his 2022 Acapulco title points came off, the 35-year-old will drop a further 600 points he earned from last year’s BNP Paribas Open runner-up finish to Taylor Fritz.

The Spaniard, who hasn't competed since falling to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Melbourne major, previously pulled out of a March 5 exhibition event in Las Vegas.

Nadal will have his sights on being fully prepared to make a run at winning a record-extending 15th Roland Garros crown. He was spotted hitting on clay Monday via a video that made the rounds on social media.

Elsewhere, Marin Cilic has withdrawn from both Sunshine Double events, joining Nick Kyrgios and David Goffin in that department. Sebastian Korda and Anett Kontaveit are among the additional Indian Wells absentees.