Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal expressed optimism on Wednesday about his form and stated that he is “happy,” that he “enjoys” playing tennis, and that the situation has changed a lot compared to a month ago, when he felt unable to compete in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome consecutively.
“I spent several days resting at home after Madrid, came to Rome and was able to train. Excited to play here, where I have unforgettable memories. It’s my third consecutive tournament and that’s good news. I have to keep taking it day by day, but I’m happy with how I feel,” he declared at a press conference at the Foro Italico.”
🔥🐂 ¡RAFA NADAL ESTÁ CALIBRANDO SUS MEJORES TIROS!
A días de debutar en la capital italiana, Nadal sigue con su puesta a punto para el Masters 1000 de #Roma. ¿Cómo creés que le irá en el torneo? pic.twitter.com/kSZVaB4dAn
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) May 7, 2024
The tennis player from Manacor fell in Madrid in the round of 16, although he reflects positively on his improvement in recent days and clarified that he enjoys playing.
“It’s a good moment despite the results not being favorable. I’m enjoying playing, by the way. I’m happy doing what I do. When I talk about retiring, it’s not because I’m no longer happy playing or don’t feel competitive enough. It’s that my body wasn’t able to play week after week, it wasn’t able to allow me to train and enjoy the daily training sessions,” he insisted.
About his improvement, he said, “My evolution is not the same every day. Even after Barcelona, I had some difficult moments in Madrid. Even here, on the first day.”
I am enjoying playing. I am happy doing what I do
“In a general perspective, the trend is definitely upward. So yes, I am happy to be where I am today because a month ago it was almost impossible for me to think that I could play in Barcelona, then in Madrid, and now be here in Rome,” he commented.
Nadal, the most decorated player in Rome with 10 titles and one of the most beloved by the Italian public, holds fond memories of his first titles on Italian clay court, when matches were played in the best of 5 sets.
“The best memory is the first one. Unforgettable moments always come in the best of 5, and I miss playing the Masters 1000 to 5. That’s why I have a better memory of the finals against Coria and Federer,” he explained.
“It’s a great feeling, the audience is very passionate. This tournament is part of the history of our sport, and I feel fortunate to be playing here. I am very motivated,” he added.
He also talked about the wave of injuries that has left the tournament without Italian Jannik Sinner and Spanish Carlos Alcaraz: “Injuries have always been there. That’s the truth. I understand that for you (Italians) the fact that Jannik is not playing here is terrible news, especially considering how he’s been playing this year.”
“If we want to talk about why people get injured, I’ll say it very clearly: when you push your body to the limit, you end up getting injured. When tennis is getting faster and faster, you get injured. When you play most of the year on hard courts and the surfaces are tougher on the body, you get injured. That’s the simple answer,” he stated.
This tournament is part of the history of our sport, and I feel fortunate to be playing here. I am very motivated
“Then there’s the other world. The one of tournaments. That’s about business, about the sport itself. That’s a whole different conversation. In the end, players want to make money. Tournaments want to make money. So it’s the whole cycle coming together. We accept that role,” he pointed out.
“I missed many important tournaments, very important in my career due to injuries. As a player, you can’t complain about that. You accept what happens. You move on. If you get injured, you have to recover well,” he recalled.
“They are young. They will have plenty of opportunities to play in Rome and be very successful here. There is no drama. The tournament will survive even without Carlos and Jannik, who are super important players for any event today. Especially for Italy, not having Jannik playing here after all he represents today in this country, I think it’s terrible news. Even for me as a spectator, as his colleague, I feel very sad for him because he deserves to play here,” he expressed.
“I wish you, and Carlos of course, all the best and hope to meet them at Roland Garros,” he declared.
