Hard to Believe is the interview after winning ROME, I am only posting it now, because of the translations in French from http://www.lefigaro.fr/
By Krystel Roche, Sport24.com
03/05/2010
Rafael, the playing conditions for this final were very humid, a slippery court… Weren’t you experiencing any difficulties with your knees ?
Rafael Nadal : No, I had no problems with my knees this week. I haven’t had a problem in the last couple of tournaments by the way: this is important. However, I don’t think that this is the day to talk about my knees. Even if I didn’t play as well as in Monte Carlo, I played a good tournament and I continue to win. I’m very happy about that.
For what reasons weren’t you able to play as well here as in Monaco?
Rafael Nadal: There’s no explanation…To get out on top in a tournament like Monte Carlo, losing only 14 games, that doesn’t happen every week! Try to think back to the tournaments of the Masters 1000 series where the winner has only dropped 14 games on the way…I can’t think of many. The matches there are very difficult. This week, I only lost one set (note: against Ernest Gulbis in the semi-final). It was a very hard match. At the same time, I had a difficult first set against Wawrinka in the quarter final. Today as well, the beginning was complicated. It’s impossible to play this sort of tournament like I was able to do in Monte Carlo. That really was an exception.
It was a long time ago that you had to play a final interrupted by rain. How did you manage to stay in the match?
Rafael Nadal: Whether it’s the final or not, that doesn’t make a big difference. The important thing is to stay focused. I have quite a bit of experience at this with Wimbledon. I just try to stay loose in the locker room, I talk to my team while waiting to warm up again to restart the match.
You’ve brightened up your list of accomplishments some more with your 17th title in the Masters 1000. How do you manage, for so long now, to keep playing at such a high level, with such a concentration, without having “off days”?
Rafael Nadal: Of course I had bad days in those five to six years. I think that you need to stay very motivated to keep on winning. The important thing is to want to keep improving non-stop. If you really want to win, you will always have the motivation to keep improving. This was – and always has been – my case. During those eleven months during which I couldn’t win a title, I’ve kept on working really hard. I have just now won two big titles and each time I step on a court, I do my best.
Nobody has dominated the clay courts like you have since Björn Borg. Borg retired at 26 years. Do you see yourself continuing for many years to come or do will you soon be retired as well?
Rafael Nadal: What is your understanding of soon? At what age did Borg start? How many years did he stay on tour? 9 or 10? So, soon no. If a player starts his career at 21 years old and stops at 31, this comes down to the same : about 10 years on court. I started very early, that’s true but…I am 23 years old, nearly 24. So, it won’t be now. I love being here, I love playing tennis, I love to compete. You never know when you will retire. I hope as late as possible!
What’s your biggest satisfaction of this tournament? To what level would you wish to progress to in the coming weeks ?
Rafael Nadal: My biggest satisfaction? To win Rome, that’s the main thing for me. I will try to continue to play like this and to keep on working again and again to hold on to this level as long as possible.
Are you still surprised to win another title and surprised by the playing level you’ve been able to produce all week long?
Rafael Nadal: When I go to a tournament, I don’t tell myself “am I going to win or lose?”. I simply try to be ready when it starts. So, am I still surprised? Of course. Five titles here, six in Monte Carlo, five in Barcelona. That’s a lot. When I look at it, I find it hard to believe… Each year, when the clay court season begins, I tell myself : “this time, it will not be possible!” I’ve won the two first tournaments I entered; we will see how things will be in the coming events. In any case, I will keep on working just like I have up to now. Maybe I’ll win, maybe not… You never now when you are going to start winning and when it’s going to stop.
To what point do you miss having won a title without having met Roger Federer in the final?
Rafael Nadal: Roger is a big champion and it’s always a pleasure to confront him and those matches against him are always special. But to play against friends like David Ferrer or Fernando Verdasco in the final of tournaments as important as Monte Carlo and Rome is very important. I’m very happy for the Spanish players. What counts for me besides this, is to win the title. No matter whom I’m facing in the final.
You really seemed to be very, very, very happy during the trophy ceremony.
Rafael Nadal: Did you like my speech in Italian? Did you understand it? Note that there are perhaps a number of Italians who haven’t understood a thing either. When you’ve experienced difficult moments and you work week after week…you try to be there, to win…I reached the final in Doha, the semi-final in Indian Wells and in Miami, the quarter final in Melbourne: even if I didn’t win, I was always ready to win big matches, I was there. When you lose all the time in semi-finals, it’s difficult to accept. But, I’ve worked a lot by concentrating each time on the next tournament. So, when you finally do succeed again after 11 months, it really is a very important moment and you appreciate it all the more.
It’s your 17th title in the Masters 1000 series, equalling the record of Agassi. He did it at the age of 34 while you’re only 23 with still years ahead of you to add several lines in your list of accomplishments…
Rafael Nadal: I hope to improve that record, But you never know when it’s going to stop. That’s the honesty of sports. I’m only 23 and I’m very happy with all that I have achieved in the last years. Of course, 17 is a very important figure for me. In a week already, there’s another Masters 1000 event and there are several others coming up in the remainder of the season. Those tournaments are very difficult, all the best in the world are there. Winning will be very complicated but I will give it my all, of course.
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