Nadal, open heart

Angel Rigueira - 19/05/2010 3:00


Eliminated in second round of Roland Garros'09 low in Wimbledon by tendinitis in the knees, almost a year without lifting a trophy and suddenly the three clay Masters 1000 to bag a row, a feat that was unknown in the world tennis. What a change ...


Win Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid than any forecast, I would not have imagined in my best dreams. I knew I was ready to win from the start of the season and end up getting a victory. Monte Carlo, with the help of the arrival of the clay, I was calm and everything went perfect.


How are you approaching Roland Garros?


Very quiet. I have been asking about the tournament since it began on earth, but I only think about Roland Garros when he plays, when it comes time to dispute it. First I focused on Monte Carlo, then Rome and then in Madrid, without any thought of Paris. I've never been obsessed with a tournament, not Roland Garros.


After four consecutive titles, the loss to Robin Soderling in the issue of tendinitis in the knees in the middle. Returning to Paris in a spirit of revenge?


No, do not believe in revenge. You have to play with heart and head, and if you exceed the excitement, enthusiasm and the heart can only head going bad. Yes, I lost in 2009 but had already won four times and never felt that Roland Garros was only mine, my possession. What I face as I have always done, trying to enjoy the challenge, knowing of its difficulty. Losing at Roland Garros is not a failure, much less, but normal. Just win one and are all the better. I will do everything possible to voler to win, but not obsessed.


"Nor has a score to settle with the Parisian public of the plant?


No. First, the public has no influence on how and where you're going to throw the ball in the game. Noolvidemos And I've already won there four times. Yes, it was a tad hard on me the day of Soderling but for me no problem.


In his journey of clay, this year has put aside the Trofeo Conde de Godo. Have you learned to say 'no'?


Saying 'no' is always difficult, but especially when it comes to the tournament from home, people who have been watching you for weeks. Fortunately, you have people you trust by your side to help you value it all, and this time I decided it was best not to play in Barcelona. I very much appreciate the respect and support of people in the club and the tournament at a time so hard for everyone. Of course, to me it is more difficult having to stay at home than go play a tournament.


A few years ago I wanted to play everything. Is not it so?

I still want to play it all, but life lessons and gives you all can not be. You have to make decisions that do not like and dislikes. Life is like that.


"He influenced a lot of hard times experienced during last summer?

It is the worst I've lived, and so now the goal is not to reach the two-month layoff, and if repeated it is because he has to spend more as an accident, not because you go over the limit of what was playing . True, there were also personal problems, but losing in Paris and Wimbledon to play at me very hard. Hits were hard to fit in, was very ill physically and mentally.


What do you remember as the worst of those weeks?

Being at home, to be on the couch so long because it had no choice. There were many hours of recovery of the knees, not touching a racket.


In Monte Carlo there were also tears, but joy.

Remember all that has happened and you look back to your best, well in a tournament as special as Monte Carlo. They are moments of high emotion. And a moment veryimportant for me. I knew I was playing well, but not in Indian Wells or Miami ended up winning the tournament even though it was tennis. I ended up failing. In Monte Carlo are all well presented, round one weeks I had to take advantage and opportunity.


In the semifinals at Indian Wells and Miami before he was very tense Ljubicic and Roddick. You could anxiety after so long without winning a competition?

I was very nervous, and when nerves also binds a bit of bad luck. They were difficult times, perhaps a little less in Miami against Roddick, but you must overcome to work everyday. You must fabricarte opportunities to overcome to get to victory. Had I not made those times when the United States, I had arrived in Monte Carlo. He was aware that she could have won those two tournaments quietly, and that allowed me to weather the storm. They are positive messages that are seeping in, and you are helping. I knew I was to win from the start of the year, and that if he would sooner or later my chance. So it happened in Monte Carlo. Worse was spent at the end of last year. Yes, I semifinals in Shanghai or Paris-Bercy, but only received negative messages, I felt light years ahead of the level needed to fight the above.


A Monte Carlo titles followed in Rome and Madrid, are already won 15 consecutive games.


When you win it's easier to keep winning, even knowing that anything can happen when you're competing with the best.


Much has been said to you, but Djokovic and Murray seem to be in crisis.

They are great players, and will continue up. But tennis is very complicated, very difficult to stay up there, having to come every week to the semifinals or final is a brutal physical and mental exhaustion, and we all end up paying in some way. I'm fine now, especially mentally, looking forward, and the top of the ones I'm playing well right now. We must maintain this line.


Del Potro and Davydenko have months off. Illustrious veterans like his friend Moya, Nalbandian and Hewitt have gone under the knife, and they're having a hard time with injuries. What's happening?

That's a long season, from January 1 to December 6. And for years I think that elite sport is not healthy.


Where's your limit?

I will play until you want to play and while maintaining the illusion and the conditions to win tournaments. You want to suffer to enjoy, not suffer for suffering. I like to suffer to beat, to maintain the ambition to be better every day. My personal satisfaction is not to win in Monte Carlo, for example, but I've been able to beat me, to leave behind a difficult stage. If one day no capacity to overcome suffering and to take me to something I truly complete, a final point. No problem, because life has other things, not just tennis.


Have you already seen the best Nadal?

I always want to improve, and 23 years old (turns 24 on June 3) there is room for further progress. I do not know what Nadal has been the best in a tennis court. What I do know is that I have a whole season playing well, and I think the week in Monte Carlo was the most complete in my life.


He changed the racquet, especially the strings. Was it a factor?

Yes, he has contributed quite a change was favorable. The racket off more, it helps me in the variety of shots, effects. I feel very comfortable with it.


With careful what you are, it would cost much to make that change ...

I am not too obsessive or too meticulous, but things are going well better not touch them. So I tend to be reluctant to major changes. Yes, after change, true change, I am not among the doubters. I decided to change strings, and I took any old reel to Australia, I decided to play with the new play good or bad, I adapted to it.



He said his uncle Toni pulls no better because you are right handed. To prove out to the right?

No, no, never. Lóigica have enough because I have more feeling in his right hand. If you throw a stone or a ball, I do better with the right than the left. But I am left handed tennis.


I did not know was the artistic vein of Nadal: You share video with Shakira and her uncle Miguel Angel dancing on television.

My uncle is an artist himself, and the truth is that dancing has improved a lot (laughs loudly). And about what Shakira is an experience that not everyone can live, and I am very grateful that she thought of me. Know different things, such a different world is important and rewarding.


Was messing in the locker room?

The usual. But it was worth, so I spent my good. It was a long shoot, but Shakira was very nice with me, helped me a lot, made me feel at ease.


Are you happy?
Yes, yes.

I ask because I read his statements about an Italian newspaper in which he said "I'm happier than people think."

I do not think I actually said because I feel very fortunate a life. With 23 years I have what I want and more. Tennis and won more than he could have imagined the family level and everything is perfect once passed the time (the separation of their parents). Now we are all well, and that makes me very happy. I'm happy with what I have, which is a lot at all levels.


Imagine that we are at December 31, 2010. What is content?

With having health throughout the year.


Have you listen to your body?

I've always heard, but playing is very difficult to know if you can go further or not, you're focused on tennis, get ahead in a game.


Are you still enduring pain?

All elite athletes endure pain, and I am no exception. Yes I learned that there are limits to which it is best not to reach or exceed.


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