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Wimbledon: Pre-Tournament Presser Audio/Transcript

6/27/2015Rafaholics

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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2015

Rafael Nadal
LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you feel on the grass heading into the tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I feel good. I won a tournament on grass after five years, a good moment for me and a special one.
I am practicing well this week. Let's see if I am able to compete well then later. So just happy to be here, you know. Healthy, that's the most important thing.
Last year I was better, after 2012 and '13 that I couldn't play well here. Too much problems on the knees.
Is good, losing or winning, doesn't matter, but is good to be healthy on the second most important surface in my career, without any doubt.

Q. You always play a tournament, then you go back to Manacor. What do you do to make it a little bit like grass before you come back here?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play golf (laughter).
No, no, no. I played on Queen's. I played in Stuttgart. I have been home just two days after Roland Garros. I was in Stuttgart practicing on grass very early.
So I came back home. You know, I stayed in Queen's until Friday. So I rest for three days at home. I didn't practice at home. I came back here Tuesday morning.
Went back home, have some fun with the friends, some golf, some going out with the boat, stay with the family. Obviously, that was very important to me and I need it.

Q. This extra week between the French Open and Wimbledon, do you think it was really a good idea? Does it make it easier for you to prepare for Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if is easier or not, no? But the real thing, is better for everybody, obviously to have the possibility to don't play a week after Roland Garros. I played, because my body asked me to play. But to have the possibility to don't play, still have the chance to play two tournaments before Wimbledon, is a great news.
Less chances of injuries, if you don't make, as I did almost every year the transition from Roland Garros to Queen's in one day, the chance to get injury, you know, you change a lot of movements, a lot of things in your game, you know, the way that you hit the ball, the way that you move, the serves. All these kinds of things are dangerous for your body. If you don't have the chance to do it, that transition a little bit slower is a danger for your body. So is a great news.

Q. Traditionally this tournament has had a lot of great left‑handed winners. There seem to be fewer left‑handed players on the tour, especially the top ranks of the tour, apart from yourself. Why do you think that might be?
RAFAEL NADAL: There is less lefties than righties, no? Is a question of percentage.
But the same time, still some good players, some good lefties. That's part of coincidence, generations. I think don't make a big impact if you are a lefty or not.

Q. Can I ask you about your golf. Do you play left‑ or right‑handed?
RAFAEL NADAL: Right.

Q. What is your handicap and does it help your tennis in any way?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. Don't help my tennis. Helps my relaxing moments to be for four hours outside of everything. Just focus on the golf round, enjoying being in a beautiful place. Because when you are in a golf course, you are in the middle of nature usually, good views. That makes me feel relax and helps me mentally, no? That's the good thing.
And my handicap is around 2.8, 2.7, more or less.

Q. Having had the experiences you've had, winning all the majors, what are your thoughts on what Serena is trying to do in one year, having won the first two, at this stage in her career, at this age?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is obvious that when Serena is playing well, is very difficult to beat her, no? Is something difficult to make that happen, but is obvious that he won in Australia, he won in Roland Garros, that probably was the most difficult one for her. He loves here. Has the right game to play well in Wimbledon. Then obviously New York is one of her favorites, no?
If she really does, will be amazing. We'll see. The best of luck.

Q. What do you think makes her as tough as she is? If you had to pick one thing about her, what would you pick?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me?

Q. What is most remarkable to you about Serena?
RAFAEL NADAL: My feeling is she has much more power than the others. That's a big advantage in the girls, no? The ATP Tour, that didn't happen. But in the girls, there is a difference when she hit the ball than when another hits the ball, no? The serve has a big impact.
For me, Serena makes a difference on the serve and on the return. First two shots makes the difference.

Q. There seems to be a lot of drama and problems with the Spanish Tennis Federation. I saw a lot of the Spanish players tweeting about it in the past few days. Is it easy for you to focus on tennis and ignore all of these things? Because it seem like there are meetings happening.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, there is not much meetings going on.
The situation have been very unusual, let's say, not nice for a country that has big tradition in this sport, for a country that the last, let's say, 15, 20 years, we have been the first country in this sport around the world. So is not nice to watch the situation that we are having today. But things are like this.
The thing that we have to do is to stop these crazy things that are happening. You know, it's not good to see bad news on our sport in the media every day. It's not good for our sport. It's not good to catch sponsors. It's not good to make the people involved on our sport.
So all these kind of things are bad for everybody. At the end of the day, you know, we are here today. We will live tomorrow. Players, presidents, everybody who is making this show last couple of months, what really suffers on all of this is tennis, tennis in our country.
All the things that goes against tennis in our country is a bad news.

Q. What do you like most about playing on clay and what do you like most about playing on grass?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is completely different story.

Q. What do you like the most about each one?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, playing on clay, obviously when I had the feeling I was playing at my best, the better feeling is I have time for everything, and I have the possibility to play with tactic, I had the possibility to play with different styles, aggressive, more defensive. That makes me feel under control almost all the time.
On grass is a different story. On grass, the feeling is you have to be very focused all the games, every point. You cannot have two mistakes in a row or three mistakes in a row with your serve because almost you lose a set.
So is a big difference. Is a good chance to go more to the net. Is a good chance to do different things that you are not doing very often on the tour. Try to have fun with that.

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TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS

R. Nadal d. A. Murray 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.

An interview with Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal: “I think I played very well with my forehand. I think was important to serve the way that I served today”

Q. Have you played better this season? That was quite an amazing performance?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well. I say the other day that I was practicing better than a long time ago, so that’s why the result today, no?

Normally when you are playing well, then you are able to play with the right position and go on court with the right intensity. You can do it. You can play at the same level that you are practicing, so I think something that I did today.

I think I played very well with my forehand. I think was important to serve the way that I served today. Is true that for a player like Andy he’s a big returner that he make more mistakes than usual on the return.

But is true too that I made a lot of times serve, and the first shot with my forehand starts to be very positive because I am able to take the advantage from the first shot.

And then if I am able to hit a few forehands in a row probably not one month ago, but today if I am able to hit a few forehands in a row is true that normally I have a lot of chances, have had good success.

Q. Were you expecting one month ago when you were losing some matches which you normally don’t lose to be able in one month to recover so well and to be so strong? Also, did you expect that Murray didn’t make more than seven points on returning your serve until half of the third set?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I didn’t see the statistics, obviously. Is difficult to talk about statistics for me. I talk about my feelings. Is true that I lost a few matches, but playing the way that I played today probably I will not.

But another thing that is true is every week on the clay court season I was doing something better. So if I was able to start a little bit before with that improve not talking about the level of today, but if I was able to play a little bit like I did in Rome few weeks before, probably we will be here talking about a great clay court season.

But the problem is always the same. The problem is the past. Problem is comparisons, because for everyone that in the clay court season make quarterfinals in Monte Carlo, quarterfinals in Barcelona, winning Madrid, final in Rome, and final in Roland Garros, will be a very positive clay court season.

But probably comparing with the last eight years will be a little bit more negative. For me, still a very good clay court season. Important thing is that I played at very high level today. I finished well the match the other day. I played again probably my best match in the clay court season today.

So happy for that. Very happy for that. Seriously. Very, very happy to be in the final of Roland Garros again. That’s something very special for me, and I’m happy that I am.

Q. Do you attach some significance to the fact that you might be in a position to win a fifth straight title of Roland Garros, and what would that kind of achievement mean to you to win five in a row?

RAFAEL NADAL: For me the only motivation is Roland Garros. Doesn’t matter five in a row, four, or one. For me, always when I have a chance to win Roland Garros is a special thing.

The rest of the things are less important.

Q. It was interesting that you said during the clay court season each week you learned something.

RAFAEL NADAL: I didn’t say I learned something. I said I did few things better. But not I learned. I can still learning a little bit, but…

About the world, about life, yes. About tennis I am trying to still learning every day, but always is a challenge, no?

Q. Okay. So what things did you do better?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. The things that I did better, first few weeks with my forehand I was not able to create winners. I was not able to take advantage when I was hitting with my forehand. I was losing court. I was playing with more mistakes than usual. My position on court was not a good one to compete against good players.

I was playing with, you know, more nerves, more anxiety than usual, because was a little bit new feelings for me on clay that I was not able to find my real game on clay.

Playing better or worse, but always I had that feeling that playing better or worse, but I was able to do the things in one way, no? Now a mistake with a forehand, now a mistake with the backhand, now I am defending, I am not defending enough long.

So now I am running and I am not arriving with the right position on court. So strange feelings for me that I needed to accept and work on it to keep improving.

Sometimes that’s a good thing of the sport, no? Always the effort and the work to improve, to recover, to find solutions for your problems, and that’s the beautiful thing about the sport in general.

That’s why the sport in general is popular around the world, because the sport is always a real thing. When you are playing well, you win. One win, one lose. One player is playing better. One is playing worse. That’s the real thing? What you are watching is what is the real thing.

Q. The weather was very good. It really helped your topspin today. When you play Djokovic on Sunday like the weather is also expected to be quite sunny. Do you feel that will have an impact on how you play him? Also the fact that you have lost four matches in a row to him, but you have never lost to him in Roland Garros. How confident will you be going into the final on Sunday against him? And also, a little bit about the weather conditions, like how it’s going to impact or whether a good start is essential for you on Sunday to win the match.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, always I repeat the same every day, no? For me is much better when the weather is like today. My ball creates more topspin. The ball goes quicker in the air, and with my forehand I am able to create more with less.

It’s obvious that with days like today, helps my game. And confident or not on Sunday doesn’t matter. I gonna go on court. I’m going to try my best. I need to play aggressive. I need to find my best level, and I gonna try.

Talking about confident or less confident because he beat me four times but he never beat me here, is true that I prefer to be in a position that I beat the opponent that I gonna play four times than in another position, than in the other position.

So probably he will come to the match mentally a little bit better than me because he beat me the last four.

But at the same time, my feeling is I am doing the things better and I am playing better again, so that’s a positive feeling for me.

I gonna try. I don’t know.

Q. What helped you dominate this match? What made the difference between this match and the match between David and you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Okay, we can try and analyze details and analyze each point, but the truth of the matter is that I played better than my opponent. These are the facts.

Today I played better than Andy. Andy made a few mistakes, especially on his return; whereas I made very few mistakes. I played quite well. So these are facts. I succeeded in developing my strategy.

As for Andy’s strategy, he didn’t manage to implement it. These are facts. I’m sorry for him, but I think at the end of the day, well, he’s a player I do admire quite a lot. He’s a player I like. He is a player who is just recovering from an injury, and he’s had very good results.

He’s somebody I know very well on a personal level. He’s a beautiful person. I’m sorry for him. I think he’s achieved very good results despite this loss today, but I think I played better than he did.

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Rafael Nadal: “After the second set I think David play with more mistakes than usual, and I continue playing with my forehand”

Audio Presser English & Spanish via +TENNISTOPIC

TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 4th of June.

R. Nadal d. D. Ferrer 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1.

An interview with Rafael Nadal

Q. The match changed totally after the first two sets. How did you see it, and what did you see make it change so fast?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I think at the beginning David was playing with a higher intensity than me. Is true that I started first two points playing well, but then I make a lot of mistakes with my backhand. Amazing with how much mistakes I had with my backhand today. Difficult to understand, because last two days I was practicing the best that I practiced since a long time ago in terms of feeling with my forehand, with my backhand. I went on court relaxed. Not relaxed thinking that I’m going to win, but relaxed thinking I’m going to play well. I really felt the ball better than probably during the whole year.
So I don’t know. Windy day, too. I get a little bit block mentally with my backhand, and was a little bit difficult for me to change the dynamic of the match.I needed to hit more forehands to change that dynamic, and I was not able to do it in the first set. I was hitting the backhand that bad that I couldn’t put David away from a good position and then let him play in not a good position I had the chance to hit with my forehand, no? Then when I was hitting my forehand I tried to go too much for the points in the first set, because I know if I hit, he has that option to play against my backhand and then he will have that advantage again. So it was tough the first set mentally. I decide to go more inside to return in the second set, and I decided to play much more times with my forehand.I did, I think: When I did, I think the dynamic of the match changed. Even if the match was close in the second, even if he had some break points to break back to me, the dynamic was better for me I thought in that moment of the match.I was able to make that change. That’s important and very positive.And then after the second set, I don’t know, I think David play with more mistakes than usual, and I continue playing with my forehand.Is true after that second set I relaxed and I was hitting the backhand probably not perfect, not as I would like to do, because as I told you before my feeling before the match was unbelievable with the shots but I was playing with no mistakes.So that was very important.

Q. At some point you won like 10 games in a row. Was the fact that it was getting darker maybe helping you think that you want to be more aggressive and play faster and try to finish it tonight?

RAFAEL NADAL: Would be real arrogance if I said yes to that. When you play a match of quarterfinals of Roland Garros against a big player like David Ferrer, you think about point by point and try to be an advantage.But not winning faster because can finish the day. No, no, no, you can think that when you are 4 1 in the fourth. No, not when you are 2 0 in the third, because you know how tough is David. You have to take your own time.

Q. Mats Wilander said he was very impressed with the way Andy was playing on clay. He described him as a tactic genius, and he’s a threat to all the top players.Are you impressed as well about the way he’s playing on clay, or…

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I’m not impressed the way he’s playing on clay. I am not answering in a bad way. I’m saying in a good way. He can play very well on all the surfaces. It’s nothing new that he plays very well on clay.I always say he’s able to play well on all surfaces if I really wants to do it. Is not the first time he’s in semifinals of Roland Garros.I remember amazing match in semifinals against Novak when Novak was playing unbelievable in 2011, and he was very close to beat him. And it was on clay.No, no, not surprised Andy is in semifinals. He’s a candidate to win Roland Garros. Before the tournament he was a candidate to win Roland Garros for me, so it’s not a surprise.

Q. David said he made many mistakes during the match. I would like to know if you are satisfied with your match.

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, during these past two days I practiced a lot. I think that I managed to hit the balls a lot better, a lot better than in the past year, so I felt good really before I stepped in onto the court.
But then at the beginning of the match my backhand was appalling. I made so many mistakes with my backhand; therefore, I tried with my forehand, doing more with my forehand, but I was making mistakes.
But then on my backhand my shots were not long enough, not deep enough, not across the court, so I had to try and use my forehand; therefore, this was the battle.
The battle for me was with my backhand to try and overcome this endless spiral I was trapped in to at last have a good forehand shot. When the balls were high and deep, I couldn’t play on my backhand. This is what happened throughout the first set.
No, I couldn’t manage with my backhand. I thought, Play more with your forehand. Then, during the second set, I managed to do this. During the first one, I couldn’t.
Then I decided to turn around the ball, to hit the ball with my forehand quite often. I was surprised to see that I couldn’t play my backhand shots, even though I practiced and I was feeling the ball really well before the match.
Well, this is what I remember from the match. My memories are awful. So at the end of the day, I am rather happy to have been able to turn the situation around. I managed to pull through. Even though it was complicated, I managed to find solutions during the second set.
Then at the end of the match I think he made many more mistakes. I changed the rhythm of the match. I played more on his forehand; therefore, I got more shots on my forehand.This is a turnaround as well, because my back was not really hurting today. It was okay. I didn’t put too much stress on my back.At the beginning, I really wanted to be very careful with my backhand shots. At the same time, I didn’t want to hit too strongly because I wanted to protect my back.You know, he was returning the points flat on my backhand, deep and flat. That was a problem for me. Then when I managed to react it was a lot better.When I improved with my forehand I took control. I made fewer mistakes. This is what I was saying in English before. I was saying, now, given the last two sets, the third and the fourth set, it really shows that David didn’t really play well during these sets.The score shows that I played well, but also he made mistakes.

Q. Now, what about these eight hours when you had to wait for the match to start? How did you experience this? Last year this match was a final. What about this one?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, we were in the locker rooms with Carlos, Albert, Toni, and we were enjoying ourselves. But I was a bit surprised I was not to be playing on the central court. I think I would have liked to play on the central court a lot better than the Suzanne Lenglen Court.
There were probably reasons, which of course I understand. But to be frank, I wanted to play on the central court.

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Rafael Nadal: “I think was a dangerous match, dangerous opponent today. I played well”

TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 29th of May 2014.

R. Nadal d. D. Thiem 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

An interview with Rafael Nadal

Q. You must be fairly pleased with the way you played today because you brought a lot of power and aggression to the match?

RAFAEL NADAL: Thank you very much. Yes. Sure, happy. No, I think was a dangerous match, dangerous opponent today. I played well, yeah. I played the way that I would like to play. I resist when he was going for the shots playing he has very powerful shots, very powerful forehand and good backhand, too. I am happy that the way I resisted. When I had to play long points I did well. When I had to attack and move him, I think I did well. I went to the net a few times. I’m happy that the way I returned today.

Q. You have such a great history here, you’re such an icon here. These young guys who are really talented and maybe aren’t afraid like some other guys, they must really look forward to playing with you. Is this an advantage or a disadvantage for them?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t think I don’t see him afraid, no. That’s my feeling. No, no, I saw him going for the points, going for the shots. It’s true sometimes he make a few mistakes, but at the same time is always normal, no? This court is always difficult. It’s difficult to find the positive feelings when you are not used to it. The court is so big and always, even today, was not a really difficult day, because always can be very windy here. Always the wind moves around a little bit and makes the sensation, the feeling not perfect, no, for the people who is not used to play. But in general, I think he has a lot of positive things to be a very good player.

Q. You played Dominic Thiem for the very first time. He’s Austria’s big hope. What do you think the future can bring for him?

RAFAEL NADAL: It’s always the same, no? For everybody is the same. For me it was the same when I had 17 or 16. I will have my chance at that age to be in the top position if I am able to keep improving.And is true that in my opinion for him is a little bit easier than what it was for me, because he already has a very good serve. For me, at the age of 17, I know he has 20, but today he’s talking, making the right comparation, because today the people is coming inside the tour later. At the age of 20 you are very young today.Was similar when I was in and I was 17. He already has positive serves, a lot of power with his forehand, with his backhand.I didn’t have that serve at the age of 17. I didn’t have the backhand, I didn’t have that power.So always is question of keep improving, make the normal evolution, be enough humble to keep practicing as hard as you did before. I am not lying, seriously.I have almost 28. Djokovic and Andy has 27. Federer has, I don’t know, 32. The new generation, new players, have to come. We not gonna be here for 10 more years (laughter).The normal thing is Dominic will be there in a short period of time, and he will have his chances to become top star and fight for these tournaments.

Q. But people talk about that inspiration that you have, not just year to year or tournament to tournament, but even point to point, always fighting, giving everything. Where do you think that comes from? Did you have it from the beginning? Did Toni help? Where does that come from?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think that comes from the practice. That comes from the education.At the end, you can practice everything. Mental part, you can practice. The character, you can practice your character, you need to work on it.I don’t know another way to practice on it that when you are practicing, try and try and try and try every day. That’s the education that I received, and probably that really help with me to be able to come back after injuries, to come back after tough situations on matches.So all that things that probably my uncle, my family give it to me, and my parents doing, especially when you are a kid, and not only the words, the words are always say the same, but it’s the true, no? If I see my father that told me you have to fight until the last ball, you need to work every day, and I see my father watching the TV at 11:00 in the morning, probably the word was the real one, but the example was not the positive one, no?But I see my father all my life working so hard every single day and doing as much as he can for everything. That was a great inspiration for me.

Q. Would you say that you feel safer today, I mean, against a one handed backhand player, versus the two handed backhand player?

RAFAEL NADAL: I never feel that much of confidence. I feel confidence when I play well, irrespective of these backhand shots, one handed or two handed. If I hit the balls and the points, I don’t really care about the backhand of my opponent.I think that I can really hurt people when I play one handed backhands or two handed backhands. Now, with my crossed forehand I play a good shot, even though, for me, it’s a two handed backhand, I know what it means to give spin to the balls is not something easy.I think that my two handed backhand is not that bad. But the most important thing is that it’s the spin you give to the balls that counts. And then you’ll see the trajectory of these balls.You know, if it’s a two handed backhand, well, it very much depends on their footwork and where you are exactly on the court. But some opponents play with one hand; others with two hands. Anyway, they can be difficult.

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