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Rafael Nadal
SPAIN
Residence: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Date of Birth: June 3, 1986
Birthplace: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Height: 6’1” (1.85 m)
Weight: 188 lbs (85 kg)
Pro: Since 2003
Play- Left-handed
Rogers Cup Appareances: 6
Roger Cup Record: 23 – 4
Best Rogers Cup- Campion, 2005 and 2008
TORONTO, ONTARIO
R. NADAL/K. Anderson
6-2, 7-6
TORONTO, Canada – JUAN CARLOS CORDERO, UNO International News Centre.- No. 1 of World Tennis, Rafael Nadal, has passed again by Toronto more of rock superstar than only a sport player. At the CN Tower, the tallest structure in the planet, he arrived in a helicopter, had time to sign autograph, climb to the highest point and look down without a fear.
No even his fancy sportswear colour (fuchsia-pink shirt, white pant), can confuse anyone. He is pure power and his two matches with the Swiss Wawrinka and the South African Anderson are excellent demonstration why he is the best tennis player on Earth, with five titles in five finals in 2010 and eight career Grand Slams. In his way to his third title in Canada, he will play against German P. Kohlschreiber, before getting to a new semifinal with Great Britain Andy Murray, who defeated to Argentinean David Nalbandian this afternoon.
His career record in matches is 184-35 and with a mark of 18-6 in finals. To compare with a great star such as Andre Agassi: Nadal captured his 17th title at age 23, while Agassi won his 17th at age 34 in 2004.
R. NADAL/K. Anderson
6-2, 7-6
Q. Obviously his serve is the biggest weapon, and in the beginning you seemed to have a lot of trouble with it, but after about two-and-a-half games you were able to break him. What kind of adjustments did you make?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I started to return the second serve inside the court. In the beginning, I was returning three meters behind the baseline. After, I returned the second serve on the line. So, yes, this was important point, but after that first set wasn't easy to return the second serve inside, too, you know, because he change it a lot, the directions and the -- yeah, he serve it with slice, he serve it with topspin, so wasn't easy, no?
Anyway, seemed like I had the match under control in the second, 4-2, but I had two mistakes with my forehand, and he played two good points. And after that, yeah, was really tough second set, no? But I am very happy how I played, especially the first set. It was very good.
Q. Over and over again, you continue in the big moments to bring the best tennis. What is the secret formula? What do you do out there?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. (Smiling.)
I don't know, no? I just think point by point, and I think I am exactly the same nervous like everybody, and, you know, some moments you play better; some moments you play worse, no?
I never played well these all important moments, no? When you are playing well and when you are with confidence in these moments, the things -- you are ready to play your best tennis. When you are without confidence without winning matches, you have more problems at these moments no? It happened to me last year the second part of the year, last six months of 2009.
So, you know, I never played well in important moments, but now I am playing much better, and for that reason I can play well better important moments.
Q. Earlier this week Federer was in this room and he was asked a question, Would you guys ever get together as a team to play doubles? He says, and I quote, the media wouldn't like it because we see you guys as rivals, but he said, Yeah, I would team up with him. So what do you say? When is the dream team getting together?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I never had any problem, for sure. I will be -- I would love to play with Roger. I think we had a lot of important moments. We lived a lot of important moments together in our career, so that's good life experience to play with him, too.
I did with Novak. I played doubles with different partners, so I love play doubles. For me, gonna be a pleasure if any day Roger wants to play with me.
Q. Maybe next year at the Rogers Cup, you guys double up?
RAFAEL NADAL: Tomorrow ask him.
Q. Okay. I will get back to you.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know.
Q. I'm curious, when you were younger and you switched from hitting with your right hand to your left hand, how did your Uncle Toni come up with the idea to try that? And how difficult was it for you at that age to switch from hitting right-handed to left-handed?
RAFAEL NADAL: That never happened. No, no, no. Wasn't an idea of Uncle Toni. For sure is impossible to change the right for the left, no?
I started playing tennis with two backhands, playing two hands forehand, two hands backhand, and one day I had to start playing, but we didn't decide I have to play with the left or I have to play with the right.
The natural thing for me was play with the left. That's the thing, no? I played football with the left all my life. That's true. With the rest things of the life, like eat, have the feeling of to give something or to take something, I do everything with the right, no?
But the feeling for the sport, I always had the feeling with the left.
Q. Spanish athletes seem to be winning everything these days, in tennis, cycling, football, basketball. How do you explain that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think we are a little bit lucky to have a lot of good sportsmans at the same generation. That's a little bit of lucky, for sure.
And second thing is because the things that we had was the right things, no? So I don't know. I think in Spain is big for sport, and for sure in cycling, Contador did unbelievable the last four years, winning three tours and the other one he can't participate, but he won the Giro d'Italia. So was amazing.
And in Formula 1, Alonso is doing well. In MotoGP we were leading the three competitions, Lorenzo, Marcos, and Alia. So everything is going perfect, no?
We won the World Cup and Gasol won the NBA. We can ask more, and I don't know why, but we are in a very good way now. We have to enjoy these moments, but it's going to be very difficult to repeat, I think.
Q. I'd like to congratulate you and your country for what you've achieved so far. How do you see the support that you've generated so far in Toronto compared to other places you've been this year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Support of the crowds? I feel perfect here. I always feel great. The crowd was always perfect with me. They make me feel like home, and for me, always is a pleasure be in Canada here, and Montreal, I won in both tournaments.
So I had the very nice memories from both, in Montreal because I won my first title on hardcourt, and in Toronto because when I won in 2008 was the last tournament before being No. 1. So winning this tournament I did this effort, no?
So anyway, they make me feel perfect and I'm very happy here in Montreal and in Toronto.
Q. Can you comment on former No. 1, Thomas Muster, asking for your assistance during the fall season in his comeback to tennis?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, if he wants to come to Mallorca and practice with me in December, I will be happy. That's the only way that I can help him, but gonna be nice and gonna be good fun for terrific comeback.
Q. After traveling to South Africa and being with the Spanish team for the World Cup, how do you compare the emotions you've had and the victories in tennis to there, and your emotions on the World Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's completely different. It's impossible to compare, but live that moment there with the players and with the stadium, be there on the stadium when we won the World Cup was just amazing, no?
When the referee finish the match, I was crying, so was, you know, for us in Spain was a big tradition of football. Is king sport, so we deserve to win that title so much.
We did amazing the last 20 years, having a lot of unlucky quarterfinals, the referees was so hard with us in the States, in Korea, and Japan. Well, we deserve really to win that title, and I am a big, big fan of football and was very emotional that moment.
August 11, 2010
Rafael Nadal
TORONTO, ONTARIO
R. NADAL/S. Wawrinka
7-6, 6-3
Q. After such a long time without playing tennis, how difficult was it to find your rhythm today?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I was pretty happy, no? Less difficult than other times. So I happy the way that I played. Sure, I had the few mistakes in the tiebreak, one smash, one easy volley, backhand easy volley, yeah, one backhand in important moment. But in general, I think I played well, so is not always easy after stop. Play well the first match, and I beat against very tough opponent like Stanislas, no? So I very happy.
Q. What was your goal coming into the match? Were you trying to be more aggressive than normal or trying to play with more margin?
RAFAEL NADAL: My goal was to win. That was my goal today, no? When you come back after a few time without play tournaments, so is always difficult, so just try my best and try to find my rhythm there, no?
I know before the match going to be a very dangerous match against Wawrinka, so I was worry about the match before.
Sure, it's very important to start with victory, no? Because if you lose today, especially -- first thing, is important tournament. Second thing, you wait another week to play another match, and for me, the important thing is keep playing matches. That's very good victory against big opponent.
Q. Was that first-set tiebreak as much fun for you as it was for us? Do you remember having a tiebreak like that at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: I played one here two years ago against Gasquet I think same, 14-12. I lost. So never is fun play tiebreaks like this because lots of pressure in every point, but if you win, gives you a lot of confidence. So always important win tiebreaks, so I think -- I have a little bit of all, a little bit of everything today being the first match after a while without compete.
So I had difficult moments. I had moments that I played well. I played more aggressive in the second set on the return. So I did a little bit of everything, and that's very positive.
Q. Did you have any doubts throughout the tiebreaker at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: If I have...
Q. Did you have any doubts throughout the tiebreaker at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: Doubts?
Q. Through the difficult parts, yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: In every point. (Laughter.)
Yeah, sure. Match was very close.
Q. You've complained in previous years coming into the US Open Series that your forehand was a little bit off to start on your first match. Do you feel that that's something that you really want to improve going forward throughout the week, and if so, what do you need to do to get it to where you want it to be?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.) I don't remember these things, but my forehand is my best shot. So if I not happy with my forehand, I have a big problem. (Laughter.)
Q. In previous years when you've arrived at this time of the season, it's often been quite difficult for you because you've had so many matches and you've been quite tired. How do you feel now compared to previous years? Do you feel fresher?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. I feel good, so I came here with big motivation and for sure big illusion to play my best level, my best tennis. Here gonna be a challenge for me because the first tournament, but every day improves a little bit, and finish play my best level as soon as I can.
For me, for sure, this American hardcourt season is very important. I think I am fine. I gonna be fine, I hope, physically. But mentally I'm sure I gonna be fine.
Q. Has there ever been a year at the US Open where you didn't feel like your physical condition was a reason for your loss? And what are you doing this year to make sure that doesn't happen?
Q. Like part of the reason for the loss at the
US Open. Has there ever been a year where you felt like your physical condition wasn't a reason for your loss?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. I lost in 2008 being perfect physically in semifinals, being perfect physically in semifinals against Andy Murray, so I was tired, but physically I was perfect. I was tired mentally. I lost, and he played better than me.
So 2006 I was perfect physically, and I lost against Youzhny quarterfinals. 2005 I lost against Blake in third round. I was perfect physically.
I had a few problems in 2007 with my knees, with my left knee, I think. And in 2009 I have abdominal broke. So I broke my abdominal here -- well, in Montreal last year. So I played Cincinnati and US Open with a tear on abdominal and bigger and bigger every time.
Q. After you won the first set, Stan's coach said that if Stan plays the way he did in that set it speaks well for the future of his career. You've beat him many times. Is this some of the best tennis you've seen from him?
RAFAEL NADAL: He played well. He's a very good player. He always was a very good player, I think. He was in the top 10, so I know Stan can play at this level, and it's not a surprise.
So I think he has enough potential to be in the top another time, and for me it's not a surprise watch Wawrinka beating me or beating top players. I think he's a top player.
Q. Your doubles experience with Novak only lasted one match. How did you find the Canadian pair that you played? And will you and Novak team up again in the future?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, well, it was very positive, no? I think play with Novak was a good experience. Sure, we would love to have the chance to win, but Canadians played very well, good serve, very good movements on the net.
We had our chances, but they played better. But maybe in the future, yeah, why not? Why not we can play another time?
I don't play a lot of doubles, that's true, but I love to play doubles. I don't play a lot because I had a few problems physically, physical problems in the past, no? But I love doubles and I love play doubles because I think is a very positive thing to improve your tennis.
