Rafael Nadal is convinced that tennis will remain the same when the "Big Four" to withdraw from the competition, but admits that his generation marked an era of dominance in the sport.
The current generation has been dominant, regular, and a very high level," said the number two in the world in an interview with dpa. But "tennis without Federer will remain the tennis (...) You will pass the same when Djokovic, when Murray, when I retire I", he added.
Nadal believes that number one is no longer a priority for Federer, feels "happy" to be part of legendary clashes such as those we had with Federer and Djokovic and fears that Spain it can maintain in the future the level of tennis that showed in the last two decades.
DPA: you belong to one of the best generations of history.
Nadal: I can not say that because I am involved in it. If what I say is important enough arrogance. I'm not the right to talk about that, but the other day I saw a statistic. In the last 34 major had been only one winner out of the top four ranking (Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S. Open 2009), the rest were from Federer, Djokovic, Murray or mine. In the previous 34 had been 18 different winners. It means that the current generation has been dominant, regular and of a very high standard.
DPA: the Djokovic-Nadal is the most repeated duel of the open era. If you could choose, Federer-Nadal or Djokovic-Nadal?
Nadal: I do not stay with none, are completely different games, focused differently. They are special games. With Federer, live and have lived a rivalry since I started. We have lived beautiful moments in our careers, but also Novak. I'm happy to have been in the midst of these rivalries. And being in the middle of games I have played against them.
DPA: change of racket for Federer, for which reason?
Nadal: From wanting to evolve, to want to look for something else, some more help on the racket. I think something positive. We do it all, I also I try new things, but not in competition. I always test in practice. I see something logical, it's not like you meant to imply you (journalists), as a sign of weakness. It is about wanting to evolve.
DPA: But when things go well, one does not usually change
Nadal: O yes, things are going well does not mean they can not do better. Tested in two tournaments he had room to test, in which life was not going to win or lose. And then returned to his usual racket.
DPA: Federer, can return to number one?
Nadal: Why not? You never know. I do not think that their priority is to return to the number one. That is my impression. Its aim is to remain competitive to win tournaments that really fill to it, rather than being number one or not.
DPA: can you imagine tennis without Federer?
Nadal: Yes, the tennis without Federer will remain tennis. Will have lost a major ambassador to be had in its history, but it will be the same when Djokovic, when Murray retires, when I retire I ...
DPA: Spanish generation now is the best of all time, but then there seems to be a void.
Nadal: Well, is Pablo Carreño, who is a good player. And he's doing things right. But obviously we're not fooled. Living the generations of the past 15 or 20 years on, with the highest level players who are fighting for the biggest tournaments is something that can not be maintained forever. At the end of the logic is
DPA: do you think that it is a problem of talent or work?
Nadal: It is about all. We need to find talented people and people who are willing to work, people who do not get hurt, people who find the right environment, people have the right circumstances to succeed. Here is the example of the United States. For many years has been the "superpower" and now has a player in the top ten. And the United States is as large as Europe. Not that I do not have the resources to invest. Not just a question of resources, not just working. It must match a number of circumstances to give good things. And in Spain we are lucky to have been given. We have a tradition, schools and people, which means there is hope that future generations continue to be good. The downside is when the sport becomes just a business. For coaches, in this case.
Nadal: I'm not saying that, just saying that if that happens there is a problem. Why not become professional tennis training an hour and a half each day. An athlete reaches the maximum when training as it takes. Two hours if you do not, you have to train three. And if it rains on Wednesday, because you have to train on Sunday. And the people who take it as a business has a job from Monday to Friday or Saturday. And if it rains, then tough luck.
0 comments