Rafa had his pre-tournament press conference Saturday. Here is the transcript and a few pictures.
Q. Could you let us know how you feel and how much practice you've been able to get in since you arrived in Melbourne? RAFAEL NADAL: I'm feeling better. I think not perfect yet. But, yeah, seems like after what I had in Doha, when I practicing, I feel a little bit more tired than usual and sweating more than ever.Q. You said you didn't have a long break. Does it feel like the beginning or the end of the season, this tournament? RAFAEL NADAL: For sure the beginning. We're in 2011. 2010 is past. For me is the beginning for sure, no? I didn't stop. But this year everything starts another time. So very happy to be here in Australia another time. Always very good news be here.Q. Do you feel any extra pressure going for the four slams in a row? RAFAEL NADAL: For sure, no. That's true, maybe I only going to have this opportunity in my career. But not for that reason I going have the pression. The pression is like every Grand Slam, you want to play well in the important tournaments. And for me, have the fourth or not is something that is not in my mind.Q. How do you explain that it hasn't happened for such a long time? RAFAEL NADAL: I think is almost impossible. Is very, very difficult, no? The tennis is a very competitive sport and is not a lot of difference between players. So a lot of matches decides in a few balls. So for that reason is very difficult to have one player winning everything. That's the true.Q. Can you tell us how special it would be, regardless, to be able to take out the four? RAFAEL NADAL: I think is better if we continue with another questions because for me, seriously, I can't answer this question because I didn't imagine (laughter).Q. When Federer was in here earlier, he said you should be the favorite for the tournament because you won the last three Grand Slams. Do you feel the same way? RAFAEL NADAL: No. For sure no. Yeah, every tournament is completely different. I gonna try my best to play well. And we will see what's going on, no?Q. How is it possible that two players are dominating the circuit as you and Roger have the last years? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. Well, he made a little bit more than me. That's the true. But I don't know. I think that's difficult. That's something gonna be not easy to repeat, but I don't know how is the tournaments. But in more than 20 Grand Slams, only two or three players won a Grand Slams, I think that's impossible to continue like this. I think that's not going to continue like this. We will see what's happen, no?Q. Your fellow No. 1 on the women's tour, Caroline Wozniacki, is coming into her first tournament as No. 1. Can you talk about the pressures coming into the first Grand Slam as No. 1? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think she need my advice, no? But at the same time, seriously, for me doesn't matter if I'm No. 1, No. 2 or No. 5. When you arrive for play a tournament, the goal is to play well and try to play a good tournament, have a good result, and if is possible win. Doesn't matter if you are No. 1 or No. 5, the pressure is the same because in the end your goal is the same if you are No. 1 or if you are No. 5.Q. Do you see her winning a Grand Slam in the very near future? RAFAEL NADAL: I thought he [sic] will have a very good chance last year in the US Open. Was playing really well. Finally he [sic] lost in semifinals. Well see.Q. You've won the US Open. Can you talk a little bit about the difference in conditions between this hard court tournament to the US Open and how do you play it differently tactically, or are they the same? RAFAEL NADAL: I play what I can. Every tournament is different. In every tournament you have different feelings. Even during the tournament you can change a little bit because your feelings are changing, no? So US Open was a really special tournament for me last year.Q. A couple of quite famous players this year have changed their racquet, have gone to a new company. You've always been with the same racquet people. How big a gamble is it to change your racquet? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I have the option to do it a few years ago. But seriously I think is something difficult to do and is important decision because, yeah, maybe you win more money with another things, with a company, but if you lose little bit of your feeling and you lose little bit more than before, you are less happy than before. And is more important be happy than the money in general. That's what I feel.Q. Rafa, Novak said after the US Open last year that he was really impressed how much you improved your serve. Is there a particular area in your game you look to improve this year? RAFAEL NADAL: Always everything. But the serve, still to improve a lot. I think I am serving better, but never going to be enough, my serve.Q. Rafael, away from the tennis, not at the tennis courts, what is different about the Australian Open for you, outside the tennis? RAFAEL NADAL: I think the Australian Open probably is the easier Grand Slam for the players. The facilities are better than the rest of the tournament because you have everything very close, the hotel. The tournament always is improving, is creating new areas for the players. That's fantastic, no?Q. You mentioned about your desire to keep improving all the time. Do you think because you and Roger have that mentality, you are taking men's tennis higher with you as well, that everybody now has to improve to even get close to you? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think every player improves normally because the player practice and the player keep improving I think all the career. So is important to know what you need to improve and how you gonna improve.FastScripts by ASAP Sports source |
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