Rafael Nadal gives an interview with Publico.es talks injuries, clay season & Federer ..


Rafael Nadal. Best Spanish tennis player of all time.
GONZALO CABEZA - MANACOR (MALLORCA) - 18/02/2010 08:30

The sky of Manacor arranged a gray day so that its favorite son can return back to training after his last injury. Rafael Nadal (June 3, 1986) is for own right the best player of tennis that Spain had and resists with reliability the comparison with almost any player of the history. In recent months, nevertheless, the physical problems have determined to put gray things on him. After 15 days of rest, Monday touched the racquet again.



How has the return back to training gone?
Physically, well, very well. I started slowly, you have to go gradually. Recovering from an injury, you always need to do things with caution the first few days and that's what we did. But the injury is gone.

What work has been doing during recovery?

I've been working with the right machines for to heal the tear as quickly as possible and I have also done a lot work in the gym. Things have gone very well.

Many people ask if Nadal will be the same again.

Being the same as what? We do not have to cheat, I've reached quarters in Australia and the final in Doha. I do not think that is very far from what it was. We're playing in a complicated surface. It's not the worse one for me, much less, the indoor is the worse. But that is a type of surface where I have won only when I was very good and at times with maximum confidence. I think I'm very close to the level it had before the injury.

Something similar happened with Davydenko in Doha, where you came sweeping and ended up losing.

I do not believe it was like that. The matches like that, I would win nine of ten for sure. I passed thousands and one misfortunes, I had two match points in the second set with my service: with one, I thought that it was double fault when the ball had gone to the line; in another one, he hit a good voley and later I had 3-1 and 15-40, two balls of rupture that had supposed a double break and almost the end of the match. In that situation, Davydenko played two good points, I went for passing and ended up out. All the circumstances occurred so I did not win. It was a very strange match.

Since returning from you injury at Roland Garros you have lost to the top-10 players. Only had succeed with Tsonga. Are there problems with anxiety or confidence?

No, I think the problem was that level of confidence. Amid doubts at the knee, still in recovery, also occurrence of abdominal injury in the U.S. Open. Probably the break, the lack of pace, doubts whether you can play a hundred percent add up and things are complicated. Moreover, this part of the season is played in the most difficult surface for me, the indoor track. It's complicated beat the best, but I think this year I was more than ready to do so.

If any of these tournaments have been on clay, would the things have been different?

I can not say, because it was not. Sure that the options might have been different. Speculation on this is silly, but we'll see in two months, when clay season starts.

Does the clay require less physicality?
No, no, on clay also have to be very strong, if not it's impossible. The physical and tactic is important on the surface and requires more intelligence. Playing on clay is different, but also very demanding.

Do you need to improve service to shorten the points and have less physical punishment?

More than for it to play better. Of course I have to do and I've been trying for many years. I've done so, but not enough, I have to try again. I have to work on it every day and I have to do until I finish my career. I realize that I need to improve, but it has its difficulties. Not everyone has the abilities to the same things. To me, the service always cost me more. Therefore I must work twice as hard.

Will you play the first round of David Cup?

I will not be training hard until next week at which time it will be a little late to be there, so do not think I'll be there. It needs be to start in a week and I doubt I get there. I hope to contribute in other rounds.

Will you return in Indian Wells?
Yes, but it will be difficult to return a month and a half later. I hope it's not too soon to return. The tournament is good for me. I've won twice.

Your clay season includes Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid and Roland Garros, has you thought about this year to remove any to have less physical punishment?

We'll see how the season goes. It's not the amount of tournaments you play, but the number of matches. If you only play one match per tournament, it's not much punishment. The development of calendar will depend on the results

In Madrid last year, you played the final and a great semifinal match against Djokovic, but you never seemed comfortable and at ease. What happened?

Madrid is a tournament more complicated than most, it's on altitude , the ball is difficult to control and probably not the perfect preparation for Roland Garros, which is very soon after. It's a difficult surface, but I've always said for me to play in Madrid is special and victory in 2005 is the most exciting of my career. Last year, I entered the tournament with totally wrong conditions,I played because it was played in Madrid. If it was not there, I would not have come.

Last year, some of the criticism of the tournament did seat well

Each one is free to share their opinion. I did not criticize the tournament, but the have a process of adaptation. It was a completely new event and I just explained my opinion.

Still don't like the blue color for clay?

The clay is red, not blue. Although it is said that it does not change the conditions. We're taking off its natural color and change its terms. Furthermore, the tour has a history of clay and is in red, blue court are when we play hard surface. The clay season is important enough it does not to need radical changes. Still, I'm not one to impose if the clay has to be blue or red. I'm just saying my opinion as a player and the ones that have to decide can choose

Does altitude has such a influence?

Many times, journalists that have not played or at least not at that level. It is normal to think this is a criticism of Madrid or veto to Madrid . But far from it. I am pro Madrid. I can not say anything bad about this city because, in addition, people have always been great to me. But the altitude is there, like it or not. I wish there was no altitude Madrid, but it is there. And unless those who are in Madrid, you can ask any player the difference they notice.

This week you regained the number three [ranking], it's not longer Murray.
Oh yeah?

It seems it doesn't worry you much.

Well, I would like to be one or two, of course, but when one spends five years between the first two, the ranking goes to the background. The world ranking is important but not paramount. The key is to go to all the tournaments with guarantees that they can win.

Federer returned to his best form, did you think it was the declining during the bad moments?

The decline was also more kinds of media than reality. He had played the final of the four Grand Slam, He's declining! He has won everything he had to win and will probably win. Now, yes there is strong competition between the top players but he's one of the best and have earned so much is helping to advance during the borderline situations.

You started playing very young. Is your career going be shorter?

Depends what is referred to short. I may end sooner than other players who started at 21, but then I started at 16. When we speak of career length, we have to fix in the years that are played. It's my eighth season on the circuit. People who have been on the circuit for that long already had a long career. I'm 23, I'm far from close to my end , I can assure you. Unless a great misfortune, I am pleased with tennis. Whatever happens, my career in the sport is no longer short, but will be much longer.

Players complain about the difficulty of the calendar. You are one of their representatives. How are negotiations with the ATP?

It is a slow process, there are many interests at stake. There are many tournaments, but neither the players nor the leaders are no one to come and say 'you're no longer part of the circuit" because, well, would be a brutal insensitivity towards the tournament. Try it to arrange a less dramatic fashion to harms less. From there, you try to shorten the schedule and look at the formulas.

Do you reach an agreement?

Hopefully. I hope the deal comes to our generation. And if not, for the following. You have to try that the next players to have a quieter career without having to play with this over-voltage and overload.

In sports, doping is much talk, but in tennis, less. Is there any reason?

There are sports that have done much damage. Sports that have done much damage to other sports by excess doping. That we are playing for it now. I am one who wants a sport to be clean, but super clean. I do not want to face any cheat, I want all the controls that can be done. But sometimes the forms are not adequate. However, controls are necessary. I think that tennis is one of the cleanest sports and it shows. With the barbarity of controls we have, leaving people with little positive. We have proven to be clean. Of course there are some exceptions, but that exists everywhere.

Agassi was positive and was covered up, do you think this was an exception or may have been more?

I am sure that has not happened in other occasions. At least not now. If not, would not be talking about this issue peacefully. Today, everything is very controlled and, moreover, is not something that is monitored by the ATP but WADA. Clearly, a case such as Agassi does not help the sport. He did great things, we must thank him, but you have to weigh what has gone now, that does not help. Perhaps in the end outweigh the positive.

Is Federer far above his competitors?

Yes, for his history and everything he has achieved. But the level is now even and has won because he had a best day or more confidence, there is no significant difference in level.

Who do you like best, Murray or Djokovic?

They are good players, but different. Murray on the clay has improved year after year, but is a little below.

What goals do you have left to accomplish in tennis?

The first objective is personal pride to be better each day and year after year. Then, to overcome oneself, which is most important. You have to know that you done everything possible, when finished your career, quiet retreat. My goal is clear, to be as high as possible, and win and work as much as possible.

There have been bad moments. Have you considered changing a coach, even temporarily?

Not at all. I'm happy with the team I have, there is maximum trust between us. I have been with the same coach all my life and I have not done badly, the opposite. I'm fine as I am. Sometimes, things are worse and there are more nerves, people start to say different things. It is permissible, but I also had times not so good and I'm back where I was before with the same team. I believe that to be where i would like to be, is the best than I can have.

But your uncles asked youYears ago, in 2006 or 2007. I repeated the same thing : I do not need anyone else. This is something of oneself. If you win, is for you and if you lose, it's also your fault. From outside, they can help, but ultimately you are the one that counts.

Rafa Interview with Publico.es