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Photo: ÁNGEL MARTÍNEZ

MUTUA MADRID OPEN
May 10, 2015
Rafael Nadal
MADRID, SPAIN


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in Spanish, please.

Q.  After today's defeat how are you feeling?  How do you leave Madrid?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, it's been complicated today.  Of course it's not the day I was expecting.  The match started badly.  After that, I lost the rhythm of the game.
But it's true that from 3‑0 to 6‑3 the match was very even.  Perhaps in that stretch of the game maybe perhaps the only one I would really say that I think I was a little bit better than him.
I was able to win my serves, and afterwards when I was returning I had a 15‑40 and then there was another break point.  I couldn't go for it.  But, you know, he won the first set 6‑3 with the first break.
Then we started the second set and I had the feeling that ‑‑ seeing how the game had gone from 6‑3 to the start of the second set, I think that was the moment to continue doing the same things because I think was on the right path.
But I had a really bad game the first game of the second set with my serve.  I committed a couple of errors, a couple of volleys.  I also threw a couple of balls into the net.  Well, that game really harmed me.  I tried until the very end.  I think the attitude was there.
During every single moment I was fighting and trying to give the maximum.  It's one of those those days where things just don't work out.
About the feeling, well, it's been a positive week.  I'm not going to lie.  A week before I would've signed for these results, of course.  I've played a couple good matches, especially yesterday's match.  I said that yesterday.  It's one of the best matches I have played in a long time.
So I cannot leave Madrid not happy.  I have leave happy and just delete what happened today.  I will just stay with the good things that happened this week ‑ and there are a lot of them, more good than bad ‑ and then I will try to recover in Rome the feelings.
I think I've made a step forward and I'm playing better.  My game is better.  I haven't been able to play two weeks in a row, well, in the whole year.  I think it's time that I play two weeks in a row.
Let's see what happens next week in Rome.  Hopefully I'll be focused and fight as much as I can to make a good week.

Q.  When you were thinking before, what were you thinking about?  Just about the positive things, right?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Yes, yes.  Because the tournament, as I said, it has gone from less to more.  My level was better each day; today my level was bad, of course, but average level of errors.
I just wanted to do things right.  Maybe I was a little bit nervous.  When the match goes bad from the very beginning as it did today and you I don't have that continuity because I haven't played a lot of the matches well and I started a match like this without having played well, well, nothing happens really.
But when you come from an unstable game and the match started badly like it did today, obviously the mental stability or confidence, you just a lot it.
I think I lost it very early.  The match started badly.  It's a pity that the start was is bad.  But because it's true that the feelings were good, I have been training well, I had played well, yesterday's match for example.
My feeling of the way that I strike the ball was good.  But today, for example, my backhand was not there.  I think that my backhand was the heavy problem that I had, you know.  Because I didn't manage to compete in a good level today with my backhand.
It just let me down, and then everything didn't work out because of that.

Q.  Did you think you were going to come back on the any moment in the match?
RAFAEL NADAL:  I had very few moments.  In the first set, yes.  If we are 4‑3, then who knows what can happen.  That's the way sport is.
But today he was better than me, so congrats for that.  Of course this is a game that there are just two people playing.  Whenever one plays well, the other plays a little bit worse.
The only thing that hasn't been positive for me today is that I didn't take him to the limit, you know.  He was playing very easily, very comfortably.  The result was very comfortable for him.
Also talking about the game, I think that my forehand was good when I managed to hit it, but when I tried to go for the backhand, I missed it.  Well, then my forehand is not going to be effective.  Then you just have a lot of doubts.  If you want to go for a backhand or look more for your backhand, then you're more slow and you don't go for your forehand.
So as I said, the backhand was the worst thing today.  It affected me too much.  I was doing too badly and it was affecting my game in even single aspect.
Also in the key points, when you might just step in the match again, I was not there.  Perhaps I was a little bit unlucky in the game ‑‑ I think 4‑3.  Yeah, I had a break point.  I played well and with a lot of decision.
My parallel forehand, that I did very well, but then he served very well.  215 kilometers I think.  I just didn't step in in that moment.  Then 5‑3 I think I had again a break point against me.  He started serving well again, doing winners.
What was really bad was in the second set.  Every thing went really much worse.  I just let the possibility fade away.

Q.  We still have Rome ahead, but I wanted to ask you if you have pressure because of the expectations at Roland Garros?  Do you still think there is a lot of time left?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Two weeks.  That's the time that we have, two weeks.  It's been a positive week.  I said before, we still have Rome.
I'm already thinking in Rome from this moment.  I'll try to go there tomorrow and train well, try to adapt to there, because it's an important change.  You change from playing with altitude to no altitude there.
I'll try to have a good week in Rome.  And by a good week, that does not mean only to win.  That means to do things good through the different days.  Doing things well every single day, that's a good week.
It's a very complicated tournament.  We have the top players there.  But I also know if I manage to play the level I did yesterday I can be competitive against every single player.
So this is the path I have to follow and that's what I'm going to try.  I'm going to die to try and continue in yesterday's path.

Q.  At the beginning of the tournament you said that you were going to leave the top 5.  You're leaving top 5.  You step down to the 7th position.  How does that affect you for Roland Garros?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, no, nothing changes from being No. 5 or No. 7.  I don't know.  Next week I'm defending 600 points.  If I don't manage to win points, I don't know where I can end up falling to.  I don't know.
I'm talking about not leaving the top 8.  I don't know what is the result I need to do in Rome to stay in the top 8, which in this case would really affect Roland Garros.  Perhaps being in a really early round with really good players if you're not in the top 8 on the Roland Garros.
So I don't know.  Whatever will happen will be.  It's also something that we have to realize, all of us, that what's happening during these last years, it's very complicated to be ten or eleven years without leaving the top 4.
It's something very, very complicated, especially with a ranking that lasts only one year.  And especially being injured as I have been.  Whenever I have been playing I have been winning, and that's the truth.
Today I have six months without adding a single point, without scoring one single point.  So let's not look at only the negative and be a little bit more positive.
I don't know if this week I'm going to be No. 6, No. 7.  This is what I look at.  Not at the ATP ranking and following the year on the ATP.  I'm following the year, and I know that today the general ranking is going to be very complicated during the next few weeks.
After that I'm going to try to add points and make it as far as possible.  This week was very positive because I got 600 points.  That's a step further because that gives you stability.
That means that you're not going to go below 15th, end hope the year in the top 15, which is not that bad.  Of course we've always had more ambition, but we always go step by step doing things as good as we can, and at the end of the year we will see where I am.
Other players when they leave with injuries or problems, I don't see even single player goes out there fighting for everything.  Murray had a very regular year last year and this year he's playing great.  He left with an injury, and then took him a year to be back on the same track and feel what he's feeling today.  Things are not that simple, and for me, they have never been.
But that doesn't take my joy or my attitude.  The feelings that I have this week have been great.  The attitude has been very good.  That's what I think about.  My game has been also very good over a lot of days, except for today, which was not my day.
Let's hope these days don't repeat themselves very often.

Q.  You said that you're happy with this tournament.  Years before when you lost the final you didn't say that.  Is it difficult for you to lower your expectations?  Is it difficult to assume that you have other expectations now?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, no, I'm just humble to know that when you're not at you're highest level, and I've always had it‑‑ whenever you lose a final, do you leave with dissatisfaction?  No, no, I'm not satisfied.  Today I have to see the whole picture.  Not only a specific moment of today.
In general, it's been a better week than what we thought was going to happen when we were training on Sunday or Monday.  I didn't have such good feelings then and now I do.  I have to go with that and see if it happens the same in Rome.
Just have to confirm it that I have never considered myself so good to consider a final a loss ‑‑ a loss in a final a bad result or making it to the final a bad result, even though the goals are always maximum.  All my life I have valid being in a final, and especially in a Masters 1000.
So no, no, I'm not so arrogant not to value making it to the final.  In these kind of draws, we had all the top players.  I value if I manage to end the year being No. 6, 8, 9, because I know there are a lot of players being up there fighting for the Top 4.  I think I'm going to fight to be to the Top 4 at the end of year.
I have the joy to do that.  If it's not that way, I will face it.  I will face that this year I wasn't so good.  Nothing happens.  The world will continue.  I will continue.
Here it finishes.  This is sport.  Sometimes things work out better and others they don't, and it doesn't matter.  That's all.  That's all the story.  This is just a game.  Let's see what happens in the future.  I will fight for better results.
Let's see whatever happens in a couple of years when I finish my career.
THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English.

Q.  What do you think about being out of the top 5 for the first time in a decade and so close to the seeding before the French Open?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Nothing special.  For me, the most important thing are not the numbers today of the ranking.  The most important thing is the feelings that I am having.  This week I had much better positive feelings than few weeks ago, so that's very important for me.
Since the season start I didn't play two weeks in a row at this level.  I have the chance now to do it again.  The last three tournament I played semifinal in Monte‑Carlo, bad tournament in Barcelona, and now a final year.  So there is a chance for me now the next week to try to have another good week in Rome like I had here.
Let's try.  That's going to be important thing, if I am able to make that happen.

Q.  How much was today's result about Andy playing great and how much about you not playing your best?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Always is a balance, but Andy is playing well.  You cannot pretend win against a player like Andy playing the way I played today.  That's it.  Simple.
Accept that today was not the right day for me, and congratulate Andy because he's playing great, winning last week in Munich Nick and here now Masters 1000 I think the first time in his career on clay.
He's having a great season playing well in the most important tournaments of the year.  He's ready to compete for everything after the tough year for him I think last year, after coming back from an injury.  Happy for him.  He's a good guy.
I am going to try my best to be ready for Rome.  I am thinking about it already.  It's important for tournament for me next week in Rome.  Let's try my best.

Q.  Is it tough for you to understand how you can go from playing so well against Berdych yesterday to this difficult start of the match?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, it's easy to understand.  You know, first of all, you need days in a row playing that level.  Today you play against a rival that he's able to push you.  If you are doing something not good, he's enough good to push you in that place, no?
I was playing very bad with my backhand so he was pushing me there to change the direction against my forehand.  So I was not doing nothing with my backhand, no?  I gave him all the time, the opportunity to change the direction when he was waiting me all the time.
If I am not able to push him back with my backhand, then I cannot hit the forehand because he's always in advantage positions.
That's it.  The match started bad for me from the beginning.  After that, I played well next six games after the 3‑0 for him in the first set.  That period of time between 3‑0 and 6‑3 I think I played at the right level to compete against him.
I was not able to continue with that level in the second set.  That's why I didn't have my chances in the second.  But I am sure that I am closer than few days ago about the way that I want to play.  I had positive feelings.  Even if playing very bad today, my feelings on court were not that bad, you know.  That's the most important thing for me.
The backhand, I will fix.  I will play better with my backhand.  I don't have doubt of that.  I was able to play more relaxed this week again.  Today starting that bad, I was playing a little bit more nervous again.  But I fought and played with the right attitude today, and I accept it was not my day.
Forget that because is not the time to think about the negative things.  Having another match in two days, I have to be ready for it, and I going to try to do it.

Q.  You say you want to forget this match and focus on the positives.  Is that easy to do in reality?
RAFAEL NADAL:  I don't know if it's easy to do, but I going to try to do it.  It's not the moment to be very sad or very frustrated for the match of today or to be negative.
It's the moment to be positive, because one week ago the feeling was much worse than was the feeling of today.  So that's the real thing.
No time to be negative now.  Is the time to be strong, positive, and to fight for what's going on, what's going on is Rome next week.

Q.  Do you remember last year Roland Garros, the semi against Murray?  He's becoming a better playing on clay, but that was another story?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Sure, yes, every year is a different story; Rome was a different story.  I was losing 4‑2 in the third.  Finally I won the match.
In Roland Garros I played a great match and I was able to beat him in straight sets.  That was not the case today.  He played much better than me.  I was not able to play that level today.  When I am not playing that level, it's very difficult to compete against a player like Andy.
So that's it.  Accept it was not my day.  I said before congratulations to him.  He played better than me.  I am going to try to be in better form for next time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Rafael Nadal                                               Andy Murray

Service Statistics
Aces	1	3
Double Faults	1	1
1st Serve %	72%	60%
1st Serve Points Won	23/34 (68%)	21/31 (68%)
2nd Serve Points Won	6/13 (46%)	17/21 (81%)
Break Points Saved	3/6 (50%)	3/3 (100%)
Service Games Played	8	9
Return Statistics
1st Return Points Won	10/31 (32%)	11/34 (32%)
2nd Return Points Won	4/21 (19%)	7/13 (54%)
Break Points Won	0/3 (0%)	3/6 (50%)
Return Games Played	9	8
Points Statistics
Total Service Points Won	29/47 (62%)	38/52 (73%)
Total Return Points Won	14/52 (27%)	18/47 (38%)
Total Points Won	43/99 (43%)	56/99 (57%)

MUTUA MADRID OPEN
May 9, 2015
Rafael Nadal
MADRID, SPAIN


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in Spanish, please.

Q.  At the beginning Berdych was winning some rallies then you came around.  How did you see the match?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, it went fine.  Went really good.  I think I played a very good match, the best match of the tournament without a doubt.
Much more than that, I think it has been a long time since the I played that level.  In general, very happy.  Of course Berdych wins some rallies because he beats Federer, Djokovic, a lot of good players.  He's a really good player.  He's up there in the top 3.
Berdych is really good and playing every single week.  He's always competing and fighting for titles.  So I think it's a very important victory for me, one of the most important victories that I've had in a long time.
I'm very happy to make it to the final.

Q.  In Barcelona you said that your forehand against Fognini was not vulgar.  What do you think about it now?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Vulgar?  No, I wouldn't say vulgar.  Today it wasn't vulgar.  Today I a good forehand, a high level forehand.  If not, I wouldn't have beaten him.
You just see things the way they are.  When I see them some way, I say it.  When it's the opposite, I also say it.  I think today I had a very high level forehand, a really high, elite level.  That's why I had the game that I had today.
But not only the forehand, the footwork, the energy on the court, everything was very positive.  I think I did very well during the whole match.
That's a very important point.  After all, I would say the same, and I said the same in Barcelona:  if my forehand is not good then my game is not good.  If you don't have a good game, then you have options to lose against any player.
Today that was not the case.  You know, it just changed.

Q.  I want to ask you how much did you need a victory like this and how much do you need tomorrow's victory?  How much do you need a championship like here in Madrid?
RAFAEL NADAL:  We're all thinking what do we need next and then what, what, always thinking about the next thing.  I think the important part of the job is done.  We had to go from less to more, recover good feelings, and play high level.  I did that, especially during the last two days.
I did something that's really complicated, to change thinks and go from less to more.  With better rivals day after day, they were demanding a lot.  I managed to do that, and today I had moments where I played really well.  Very, very well.
So tomorrow's victory would also give me another Masters 1000 title and also be at home.  That means an awful a lot.  But a week ago I would have signed for what I've done.  I would've signed without even thinking about what I've done, even making it to the final and losing it.
With the things the way they are, I came here with a complicated feeling, and the today the feeling is different.  But I just have to be humble, because you never know when things can change again.
But it's true that I'm very happy with the week.  Tomorrow hopefully I'll be ready to play a good match.

Q.  Rafa, could you talk a little bit about your two possible opponents tomorrow?  Nishikori had a great week in Barcelona, and Andy Murray, also his first title on clay.  Tell us a little bit about both of them.
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, no matter who I play, they have different types games, different styles.  In the end, I think it's the same:  I have to play with high intensity, with the same energy that I played with today.  It's not a matter of being much better for tomorrow.  I think I that there is not a great margin to be better.  You can always be better and improve things, but there is a smaller margin.
To be honest and clear, there were moments today that I played at a really high level.  I cannot play much better than what I did today.  May I do better things?  Yeah, I can improve some things, but the goal is to keep on the same path, try to play as aggressively as I played today.  When I go make my shots, I have to go for them.
The good thing about today is that from the third game my opponent didn't know where I was going to place the ball.  I think he didn't know where they were going.  I had some really good shots.  Whenever your opponent doesn't know where you're going to shoot, then you're going to do a lot of damage.
Whenever you play a repetitive ball without changing the direction or speed, the opponent starts to be more comfortable and he knows where you're going to place the ball.  Today that was not the case.
So to compete against rivals like the one of today and tomorrow you have to play at the highest level.  If I don't play like that, I'm not going to be able to play against these opponents.
Today I managed it, and I have to do ir tomorrow if I want to have options.

Q.  During the whole week you only lost your serve on two occasions.  Today you only lost ten points on your serve.  Do you think that the great part of your confidence during the last matches is due to your serve, that you're doing with better with the serve?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, it already happened in the past, and this question that you're asking is not new.  You know, just because I make two aces a game on my service doesn't mean I can't lose my service.  I managed to be strong with my serve if I take the initiative of the point.
I just have the capacity of dominating the point with my forehand or backhand in the next point, not just because I'm serving good.  I'm doing well.  It's true that I'm serving quite well and perhaps a little bit better here in Madrid.  It's true that here in Madrid with the altitude helps.
But the difference is mainly in the consistency.  I'm very consistent.  I keep being regular with the game, especially the aggressiveness with the next ball.  That's what makes my service important.  If I had served the way I am right now and I was playing from the back like I was two weeks, ago, then I would've lost a lot of serves, too.
You never know what can happen.

Q.  Can we say that between Grigor Dimitrov and Berdych today, who was more tough to win?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, you know, I don't like to make comparisons between players.  Each players has good and bad points.  Perhaps some have weaknesses, and I think that today and yesterday I just took advantage of their weak points.
I think that today's match was a more all‑round match.  In general, I was closer to losing a set today because we went to the tiebreak, and you never know what can happen in the tiebreak.
But it's true that I didn't suffer with my serve during the first set.  It's true if you go to the tiebreak with player like Berdych you go to the limit.  Anything can happen in that tiebreak.
Well, both of them, I've had problems with both of them.  I think that yesterday I did a quite good match.  Today I did an even better match.

Q.  You said everything about your forehand.  I want to ask you about your backhand, perhaps those things that you might want to improve.  Perhaps the parallel backhand?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, no, the parallel backhand went fine.  There was a thing at the beginning of the match.  The problem was not that I missed a couple of parallel backhands.  You know, it's just that I had a slow ball and he had a possibility to take the initiative.
It's true that he played a good game, but whenever I did the backhand, you know, I didn't have the possibility to just change the game.  There was also another difference.  Dimitrov yesterday played differently.  He was playing with a slice ball.
Today the ball didn't come with that slice.  The ball came just a little bit more flat.  When it comes flat, I cannot change the rhythm as much as I like.  That's why I commit some errors sometimes.  Then little by little starting to get more rhythm, I just adapted to his shots.
I just managed to do better.  I just wanted to finish the game.  Maybe he did a little bit softer, and then at the beginning he was going too fast and I just left the balls too short.
Then of course after that I started to adapt to his game and managed to do a little bit better.  Whenever I was going out of that position, then I managed to go with my forehand a little bit better.  That's all.

Q.  Last year we saw you in Madrid celebrating the 10th Champions League of Real Madrid.  How do you see yourself this year in Roland Garros?  Talk about Roland Garros.
RAFAEL NADAL:  I am here in Madrid.  I don't want to talk about Roland Garros now, or Rome.  I'm here in Madrid and I made to the finals.  It's one of the post important tournaments of the year.  When we go to Roland Garros we will talk about Roland Garros.

Q.  Today Real Madrid is playing at 8:00.  Are you going to see it or is it not a good idea because you have an important match tomorrow?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, no, tomorrow I'm playing at 7:00, so that doesn't change anything, whether I go to see Real Madrid or whether I don't.
It's just not going to have an impact on tomorrow's match.  We'll see what happens.

Q.  Are you going to go?
RAFAEL NADAL:  I don't know.  Still depends.

Q.  Can we talk a little bit about your old racquet?  Do you think you're doing better here because you're playing with your old racquet?
RAFAEL NADAL:  No.  I said before the tournament that I didn't want to talk more about the racquet.  The racquet is just a part of the game, but it's not the most important point in the final result.
With that racquet I played a really good tournament in Monte‑Carlo.  I played at a really high level over there.  I won a match against David, which I think he played really well there.  And in semis I lost 6‑3, 6‑3 to Djokovic.
But 6‑3, 6‑3 that could have been a much more fair result than what it was.
But talking about the racquet, no, it's not a key point.  With the racquet I was playing with before, it's a great racquet.  I think I'm going to end up working with that one.
It's true that I haven't had enough time to train with that one.  Just a few days before Monte‑Carlo I trained with it.  Also, it's a racquet that sends the ball a little bit further.  If it had worked okay in Barcelona and I had good feelings as I had in Monte‑Carlo, perhaps I would've played with it.
But I also knew here in Madrid with the altitude it's not easy.  I'm not used to it, so I have to go with the old one.  I was not so confident, so I was not sure if it was the best idea to have that racquet.  That's why I was a little bit more conservative, wanted something that I knew a little bit better, that made me a little bit more calm when I play, gave my a little bit more control.
So I decided to play with this one for another season.  Whenever I have time, I will go and play with the other racquet.  I guess that will happen in the future.
THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English, please.

Q.  On today's match, in the Australian Open you lost in straight sets to Tomas Berdych.  What has changed fundamentally, apart from returning to clay?  How would you compare your game now versus January?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Every moment of the season is different.  Australia was a great tournament for me because playing really bad I was able to arrive to the quarterfinals.
So playing at the level that I was playing there, I cannot ask for more.  Quarterfinals was a great result with that level.
One week ago, two weeks ago I felt it didn't improve much from Australia, just a little bit, but now is different, no?  The sport changes quick with some good moments.  Important thing is work enough and be ready for to catch that opportunities, know?
For the last couple of days I have been playing better and better every day.  That's always a very good news.  And that's it.  I am in the final.  I am happy for that.
I am enjoying a lot the fact that I am playing in front of unbelievable crowd.  With me, that's the best crowd of the world without any doubt.  So that gives me a lot of really positive energy.
Let's enjoy this day and try to be ready for tomorrow.

Q.  You sounded pretty devastated in Barcelona, especially in the press conference.  You were a bit harsh on yourself.  My question is you made it to the final, so regardless whether you win tomorrow, are you happy with what you achieved here so far and, can you finally move on from what happened in Barcelona?
RAFAEL NADAL:  When I was in the press conference of Barcelona I have been honest.  I am honest today about what's are my feeling, no?
In Barcelona my real feeling and the real thing is I played a terrible match; I lost second set having three times break for me, so I played at very low level.  That's what happened there.  I said that in the press conference.  I was not too hard with myself.  I was honest with myself.
At the same, today I'm honest with myself and today I'm playing again at a very good level.  I did yesterday; today I played at a very, very high level.
Let's see tomorrow if I am able to continue with that positive feelings.  I said this before in Spanish, no, the week has been fantastic for me.  This is very important result, and that's confidence, that's positive energy.  That's calm, too.
Let's try to continue tomorrow and try to continue with that good feeling next week.

Q.  Could I just have a word from you on potential final opponent Andy Murray.  You've played him many times on clay over on the years.  How much do you think he's improved?  How improved is he on clay today than the first time you played him?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, seriously, Andy played two semifinals of French Open.  He played few semifinals in Rome with good chances.  Well, last year with me good chance in the third.  Few years ago with I think match points against, or very close to have match points against the best Djokovic in 2011.
So Andy is world talented player in every surface.  With his talent, there is not one reason not to play on every surface in a very high level.  He is doing, so one is surprised to see Andy winning in every surface.

Q.  Is there a sense of relief to see that your forehand is back to its best level?  Were you doubting that maybe it would come back at some point?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Today was great; yesterday was better.  Today was great.  That's part of the work.  That's part of the positive attitude that I am playing.  I worked a lot to have that feeling, and today I had that feeling that I was trying to find since a while, no?
So very happy for that.  I don't know if can continue that level for the next couple of weeks, but I going to keep working hard to try to make that happen.  If that happen, let's see how far I can go.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Photo: Clive Brunskill

Rafael Nadal                                              Tomas Berdych

Service Statistics
Aces	2	8
Double Faults	0	5
1st Serve %	67%	45%
1st Serve Points Won	32/37 (86%)	23/33 (70%)
2nd Serve Points Won	13/18 (72%)	21/40 (52%)
Break Points Saved	0/0 (0%)	7/9 (78%)
Service Games Played	10	9
Return Statistics
1st Return Points Won	10/33 (30%)	5/37 (14%)
2nd Return Points Won	19/40 (48%)	5/18 (28%)
Break Points Won	2/9 (22%)	0/0 (0%)
Return Games Played	9	10
Points Statistics
Total Service Points Won	45/55 (82%)	44/73 (60%)
Total Return Points Won	29/73 (40%)	10/55 (18%)
Total Points Won	74/128 (58%)	54/128 (42%)

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Photo: MMO

MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 8, 2015

Rafael Nadal

MADRID, SPAIN


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in Spanish, please. 

Q.  Yesterday you were saying that today's match was a test.  Have you passed it, and how would you grade it?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, good, good.  I think I played a very all‑round match.  I think that maybe two games in the second set didn't do so good.  I didn't do the break in the next game where I should have.
But afterwards I had a break point, and I just managed to get the ball in the court by just a few centimeters.  I think I played well and with good intensity, which is one of the most important things.
I managed to avoid his attacks.  He didn't attack me.  Whenever I attacked, I succeeded.  I saved a couple of break points with my serve.
So in general, good.  The only thing I would say was perhaps that two games in the second set my level was down a little bit.  A little bit less intensity. 
After that, I had the opportunity to dominate the game, and that's all.  Sometimes you have to play without taking a lot of risk but throw in some quality shots.  In those two games, as I'm saying, I think I had a little bit less quality and perhaps he was able to attack me a little bit more.  I was defending and not controlling the game.
Normally you have to defend and control.  Overall I'm satisfied; I'm happy.  I have made it to the semifinals, and I think that's a great result for me, especially after losing in Barcelona the way I did.
Very happy about the way things have worked out.  I passed a test that was really important for me. 

Q.  Yesterday you were saying that this test was different to the two previous matches.  This one was a little bit more complicated.  Do you think it was less complicated than you were expecting?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, I don't expect anything.  Whenever I go out on the court I always expect the maximum.  I know the opponent is one of the best players in the world, and you know that these kind of matches are decided because of small details.
The match is decided because of small moments.  Well, he also had a break point to go 5‑4 in the second set, and he didn't manage to do that.
I think I played a good game overall.  Perhaps he committed a few errors.  That's where the match changed again.  It's true that if it goes 5‑4 or 6‑4, then you have a couple of problems.
So 6‑3, 6‑4 is a result that at the beginning you can say it's an easy one, but I think the match is complicated.  It was a complicated match.  We were playing for an hour and 40 minutes.  You can see the time speaks for itself.
It was a complicated match.  Luckily I had a good day.  I think better than the previous one.  This is very positive, especially when day after day you go on and give a step forward every single day. 

Q.  At your first press conference we were asking about the favorite playing to win the tournament.  You did not include yourself.  After today's match do you see yourself more as a favorite?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Of all the four of them, I'm one of the favorites, of course.  Well, now I only know that I have made it to the semifinals.  As I said before, it's very positive news talking about the points and winning matches, and especially because of after today's match I played an important opponent.
Tomorrow I have another opportunity to play at a really high level.  I have to be ready to suffer.  No matter who the rival is, you're going to suffer.  They smack the ball hard and so you just have to be there.
It's just another test for me.  I go day by day.  Today has been a very positive day, and I'm very happy about that.  I try, as I said before, to be happy about the small things that happen.  This is not a small thing.  This is a big thing.  I made it to the semifinals. 
And making it to the semifinals in a tournament like this where we have all the big players, that's big news.  It's my second time I made to the semifinals in Masters 1000 this year, and I normally don't get there.  Let's see what happens tomorrow. 

Q.  What has changed from Barcelona?  What do you expect tomorrow? 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, of course I'm playing a little bit better than in Barcelona.  But in Barcelona it seemed that everything was fine.  I came from doing a good tournament in Monte‑Carlo, I win the first round against Almagro, and seems I was doing things good.
Then I had a really bad day against Fognini.  I think nowadays the dynamic is a little bit better.  Tomorrow is going to be a very tough match.  What do I expect?  As always, I just expect to go out there, know that I have to suffer, that if I don't play at really high level I'm not going to have options, and that's the reality. 
I'll just try to play that level and take my few opportunities that I might have. 

Q.  How do you feel mentally?  Today you managed to recover in the second set.  Emotionally how do you feel?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Good, good.  Feeling pretty well. 

Q.  (No microphone.)
RAFAEL NADAL:  Emotions are always there.  No, I never miss them.  After, whenever you don't go for you opportunities, as this year I haven't gone for some important opportunities I've had, well of course maybe you let yourself down a little bit.
You're a little bit down some days, and then you just start training and again start looking forward.  Once again you fall down, get up, fall down, get up; and then you fall down again.  In this sport you always can fall down. 
Each week there is a lot of players playing at the beginning of the tournament, and only one of them is the one who doesn't lose.  I just to have face the situation as I said the first day.  Things are not always working out.  Many times in my career they worked out and other times they haven't.
Nowadays, let's see.  I'm just trying my best so that everything works out again for me.  I have to win things by my own, and I'm trying to do everything that I can to make things work out for me. 

Q.  Yesterday you said that today was a test.  Can you grade it? 
RAFAEL NADAL:  No, no, I don't want to talk about grades.  When you win, everything is fine.  In the world of sport, unfortunately or not‑‑ I don't know, I don't know what to say‑‑ the result is absolutely everything.  The score is everything.
In this case, it's not only the score.  I managed to play well.  I played good tennis.  I did the things that I believe that I do when I play well. 
I wish I had won more matches like this in order to play with a little bit more confidence.  Perhaps a moment after the break some of my forehands I could be more aggressive with.
But in general, I think that everything has been very positive today.  Being realistic, if we didn't come from an irregular path, and we should talk about what has happened here, we could be saying things are fine and everything is perfect and we're going forward.
We have to remember that we come from a not very stable path, and you never know what's going to happen.  But until today things have worked out very well, and I'm happy about it. 
Of course for me ‑‑ I say it every single day, but it's just the truth ‑‑for me to go out there and feel the support of the people is a very special feeling, and it gives me a lot of energy. 

Q.  Apart from the support of the people, technically does Madrid have something that's good for you?  Do you feel comfortable on this court?  Does it have any special feature that suits you? 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, I don't want to be arrogant, which I have never been in my whole life and I'm not going to be now.  The last six years, except last year, I had also made it to the final in Monte‑Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome the majority of times. 
Madrid is a clay court, and I think that since three years ago‑‑ well, the courts are at the highest level on the tour.  They're really well laid down.  They're just perfect.
That helps to see good tennis.  I think that the altitude is always a factor here, but at the end of the day, it's just a clay court.  I'm not going to talk about the blue clay, which I also made it to that final. 
But the courts were really tricky in those days.  They were very slippery and they were tough, difficult. 
The quality of the construction of the court in those days is not what we have today.  I'm not going to talk about the blue clay.  As I'm saying, from three years ago until now, there are no courts in the world that I would say are better than these clay courts we have here.  No other courts. 
They are all the same because they are well laid down, and I think a really good job has been done here.  From my personal point of view, and I think that I'm talking here for all the players, I just want to say thank you for all the investment that has been put in here. 
It has been really well laid down during the last years, which is good for all of the players, and especially also for the supporters and everyone.
So great job. 

Q.  You've been serving really well today:  four aces, a couple serves above 200 kilometers per hour. 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Those are not a lot of serves above 200 kilometers per hour.

Q.  Do you think this is important for you?  Have you changed something in your serve? 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, I don't know.  Recently I think I've just been serving good here.  In Barcelona I had three breaks in the second set and I didn't manage to finish the game on my side.
So no, no, things are just going fine.  I didn't lose my serve until today.  It's logical as soon as you go on in the tournament the opponents have more level and you might have more problems keeping your serve.
But, well, I think that I have served well in important moments.  I did the right things.  I did a couple of important aces.  The most important thing for my game, not for everyone's game here, is a safe serve that it allows me to dominate the point.  Rather than the aces, I'd rather have a good shot from a good position and I can start the point dominating. 
That's my goal when I serve every single place, but especially here in Madrid. 
THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English, please. 

Q.  Just talk us through the match a bit and whether you think this was your best match on the European clay this season.
RAFAEL NADAL:  I don't know.  I think in Monte‑Carlo I played very good matches.  I played well today.  I think I played at the right level, so very happy for that. 
Obviously much better than what I was doing the last two weeks in‑‑ last week and two weeks ago in Barcelona.  Much better than the first day here.  So that's great news for me.
First great news is be in semifinals.  It's very positive result for me.  Confidence, good energy, because then when you were working hard and fighting for goals, it's great when you see that those goals are arriving.
In terms of tennis, I am pleased the way I played this afternoon.  Very happy. 

Q.  Grigor Dimitrov, people still call him young, and they called him young yesterday. 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Call him? 

Q.  Young.  They asked you if his generation will overtake yours.  The reality is they're only a few years younger than you. 
RAFAEL NADAL:  Almost five, no?  Four? 

Q.  But Nishikori is only a couple years younger than Djokovic, for example.  Do you think their achievements are sometimes overrated compared to yours?
RAFAEL NADAL:  Overrated?  What do you mean?  No, no, I think we don't have to confuse about the generations.
Dimitrov, I think the Dimitrov, Nishikori, Del Potro more or less, Raonic, are from this generation.  Then is another generation that is coming with Kokkinakis, Kyrgios, new names that are playing at a high level, too. 
But Grigor Dimitrov is a fantastic player, and he has been in a high position of the ranking for a last couple of years.  He's ready to compete with everybody.  He's ready to compete for the best tournaments.
The competition on the tour is hard.  There is a lot of players that can do important things.  It's true that my generation‑‑ well, but, you know, we talk about my generation and we put Federer in my generation.  His generation is five or four years older than me.  Yes, five, I think. 
So, you know, he's a different generation, too.  But we played together all these important years for us, and the real thing is we're still there.  Berdych, David, Andy Murray, myself, Djokovic, Tsonga, all the players are still there fighting for the highest position in the rankings.
We combine three generations today, and it's not easy for nobody. 

Q.  You mentioned in your first answer about your goals and that you met another one today.  What were your goals for this week and have you met them? 
RAFAEL NADAL:  My goal is feel myself playing better every day.  That's my real goal.  Then obviously the goal is always the same:  try to have the better result possible. 

Q.  You received a time warning.  Maybe it was not the best timing, right?  Did it disturb you?
RAFAEL NADAL:  In the break point? 

Q.  Yeah. 
RAFAEL NADAL:  You know, I received it in a set point against, I received it in a set point against, a second warning, so I had to serve second serve.
Something that is not new for me.  I know sometimes I'm slow, but I don't know.  Sometimes I feel that ‑‑ Mohammed is a great umpire, but I feel sometimes that the umpires are only‑‑ they are watching the watch. 
There are more things happening on the match that they have to take care of.  I'm not talking for Mohammed, but in general, seems like since few years ago the most important thing of tennis is the time now. 
I played eight, nine years of my career using the same time I am using now and I receive just very few warnings for time.
I really don't know who had that interest few years ago to put that‑‑ not a new rule‑‑ but to be very, very strict on that rule.  I am not against, but why you have to be very strict in that rule when we are not that strict in another rules. 
I never, during nine years, heard an umpire, when we were at the net, saying, 25 seconds between points.  Since three years ago, before every single match I heard, 25 seconds between the points from the umpire.  They say the rule didn't change, okay? 
Something change, and I don't know who had that interest to change that.  But at the end of the day, I have to be quicker, I know.  The umpires have to be a little bit better on the other rules.  Have to be a little bit better taking positions like last what happened in Estoril.  They didn't take the right decision in a very important moment.
So the things have to be fair for everybody, not only in one particular thing.  In my opinion, there is another lot of worse things happening on the other side of the net sometimes that are for sure not the best example for the kids and for everybody.  For sure worst example than being a little bit slower.
Seems like that's not that important than being maybe five, six seconds late.  So accept is always my fault.  I am slower than what I have to be. 
But at the end of the day, the umpires have to be more strict on all the rules, not only on this one. 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports