Indian Wells 2024: Last Hurrah for Rafael Nadal, Danielle Collins and Andy Murray as Retirement Dawns Upon Legends

The year 2024 is going to end on a sad note for many fans. While they will witness their favorite players playing on the court, they will soon have to say farewell to some. Rafael Nadal and Danielle Collins have publicly announced that they will stop playing tennis beyond 2024. This will be their last season, and they will go all out to procure their favorite titles.

They have been joined by Andy Murray, who also announced that he will be stepping down from tennis after the 2024 season. All three stars are looking to go out on a high note in the Indian Wells Masters, as they will play it for the last time. 

Andy Murray

Murray is the most recent individual who added his name to the list of post-2024 retirement. The Briton shared his announcement recently after he lost in round two against Ugo Humbert in the Dubai Tennis Championships. While the other two names on this list plan to close out the year, Murray might step down from the sport before the season comes to an end. 

When asked about retirement after the 2-6 and 4-6 losses, Murray said, “I’m bored of the question, to be honest. I’m not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”

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Despite the possible hint of hanging up the racket, he said he is still keen on playing in the Paris Olympics, hoping for another gold in his career. While his retirement is still speculation, other players have all but confirmed their retirement. 

Rafael Nadal

Rafa first took a long hiatus before the 2023 Australian Open. He is someone who has suffered a long bout with injuries, and they have finally caught up to him. He was unable to play in 2023 and later announced that he would play a final season in 2024 and would step down from the sport after the year. He revealed his intentions in a press conference in May 2023.

When talking about his recovery period, Rafa said, “After that, you never know what can happen. I’m going to try to make my last year not just a party, I’m going to try to compete at the highest level, give myself the option to try to compete and win tournaments on this clay tour. The reality is that we’ll have to wait for that.”

Aside from Rafa, an American star also announced that she will be leaving tennis.

Danielle Collins

The American star has found her best results in the Australian Open, as she reached the final and semifinals once. However, this year’s Australian Open couldn’t pan out well for her as she lost in round two against Iga Swiatek. After the match, she dropped the bombshell of her retirement. 

After her loss, she said that this loss didn’t bother her much as she takes them as they come. She then said, “Yeah, this is going to be my last season, actually, competing. I don’t really know exactly when, but this will be my last season, and I’m really looking forward to that.”

She further explained that she has other goals aside from tennis, which she would like to pursue after she has left the sport. 

Collins, along with the other two stars, will be missed dearly. As they prepare to play in the Indian Wells Masters, how will they fare? Will they be able to go far?