‘I can’t lie to myself’: Rafael Nadal forced to withdraw from Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal says he has made the “difficult” decision to withdraw from Indian Wells because he is not yet “ready to play at the highest level”.

The 22-time Grand Slam singles winner has been removed from the tour since suffering a muscle injury in Brisbane in January. He was scheduled to mark his return on Friday with a first-round match in Indian Wells against Canada’s Milos Raonic. However, in a post on social media, the 37-year-old said he is not yet ready to compete.

“It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this great tournament in Indian Wells,” he said. “Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love playing here. That’s also one of the reasons why I came to the desert very early to practice and prepare.

“I’ve been working and practicing hard and you all know I took a test this weekend, but I’m not ready to play in such an important event at the highest level. It’s not an easy decision, it’s even a difficult decision, but I can’t lie to myself and to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all and I am sure the tournament will be a great success.”

Nadal has been replaced in the draw by Sumit Nagal, the number 101 in the world. The Spaniard made his return at the Brisbane International in January after a year on the sidelines due to a long-term hip problem. The Spaniard suffered a muscle tear near his hip during his quarter-final defeat to Jordan Thompson, but scans showed it was not in the same area.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray produced an excellent performance to beat David Goffin in straight sets and progress to the second round in Indian Wells. Murray had won his previous seven meetings with the Belgian but came into this match in poor form and revealed last week that he was likely to end his decorated tennis career this summer. The three-time Grand Slam champion looked rejuvenated after his announcement in Dubai and put in one of his best displays of the year to claim a routine 6-3 6-2 victory to set up a last-64 clash with Andrey Rublev.

In a nip-and-tuck first set, Murray had to be patient after a break point in Goffin’s opening service game was held before he could strike when leading 4-3. Murray claimed his first break of the match in the eighth game, sending down two aces to seal a 34-minute opener in which he won the last 10 points.

The momentum was with the Brit and a double fault from Goffin gave him an early lead in the second set. The world number 61 continued to question Goffin’s serve and a second break came that put him on the brink of a place in the last 64, which ended with an ace.

Compatriot Jack Draper suffered disappointment when he lost to Chris O’Connell in three sets.