12/30/2014
@RafaelNadal se marcha ahora a Abu Dhabi para iniciar la temporada
Rafa #Nadal on his way to Abu Dhabi to start the season 2015
#VamosRafa
Via @SERdepbaleare
s
12/21/2014
12/19/2014
12/18/2014
12/17/2014
12/16/2014
12/09/2014
http://ultimahora.es/mallorca/deportes/rafa-nadal/2014/139711/nadal-participara-gala-solidaria-del-tenis-espanol.html
On Friday, December 12, Rafael Nadal will participate in the Gala Solidaria del Tenis Español in Córdoba
On Friday, December 12, Rafael Nadal will participate in the Gala Solidaria del Tenis Español in Córdoba
12/08/2014
@RafaelNadal un ejemplo dentro y fuera de las pistas de tenis #MovistarFanNadal
Rafael Nadal an example inside and outside the tennis courts
Via @LuisPucela84
Rafael Nadal an example inside and outside the tennis courts
Via @LuisPucela84
12/02/2014
12/01/2014
11/30/2014
11/28/2014
11/25/2014
11/24/2014
11/19/2014
11/17/2014
Ricoh Hospitality at the Barclays ATP Tennis World Tour Finals
Posted on 14th November 2014
CCS
Director James Stephens and his family were invited to join Ricoh at
the ATP Tennis World Tour Finals this week at The O2, where they not
only saw some wonderful tennis but also had the chance to sit and talk
with Rafael Nadal, and have their picture taken of course!“My son Zach spent the summer at the BTT Tennis Academy at the Club Esportiu Valldoreix near Barcelona, which has a collaboration agreement with Rafel Nadal.” explains James. “Zach was coached by Rafa’s close friend and colleague Francis Roig, who founded the Academy and who also forms part of Rafa’s technical team, so we were all very excited to meet him in person.
Many thanks to Ricoh for their wonderful hospitality – our partnership continues to go from strength to strength
http://www.coronacs.com/ricoh-hospitality-at-the-barclays-atp-tennis-world-tour-finals/#.VGomIPM8GAo.facebook
Rafa Nadal's project starts
a centre of excellence
It's thought that Rafa himself will perform the first stone laying ceremony on the 24th November when he has completely recovered from his recent appendix operation in Barcelona and before playing tennis again in Dubai.
The centre is just another part of the great work that Rafa does for both charity and to promote the sport via his tennis foundation and will basically be a centre of excellence for budding young tennis players but with many other facilities too. Estimates put the cost of the centre at around €15 million, some of which has been personally financed by him, and with a completion date some 18 months from now.
When finished the centre will have some stunning architectural features and contain numerous tennis and other sports courts, a gym, spa, swimming pools, medical centre, shops and a restaurant. It will accommodate 140 'pupils' who will study in English and also provide hotel type accommodation for tennis players on tour in Europe who need really good training facilities and somewhere to stay close to the tournaments.
The main feature of the centre is its crowning glory the large cylindrical foyer, completely double glazed and showcasing Nadal's 'bull's head' logo which will be highlighted by the changing colours of its subtly toned illumination at night.
It sounds like a great boon for Manacor and Mallorca as a whole, so well done to Rafa Nadal for putting back something into the island and the sport he loves which has given him so much!
Published 17 November 2014 by Stephen Whit
11/12/2014
11/11/2014
10/29/2014
Nadal gets ahead With knee treatment
Via Marca.com
Rafael Nadal's season ended last week in Basel, where he lost in the quarter-finals to 17-year-old Croatian wunderkind Borna Coric, the Spaniard isn't sitting around playing tiddlywinks. He is currently undergoing knee treatment in Vitoria, in the north of Spain.
Nadal has once again put himself in the hands of Mikel Sánchez, a growth factor injection specialist with whom he has been working since 2010 to ease the chronic tendinitis in both of his knees.
The Majorcan usually has the injections shortly before getting his pre-season underway so as to allow over a week to shake off any aftereffects, but on this occasion he has pushed the treatment forward owing to his impending appendix operation in Barcelona. This surgery, scheduled for Monday, will keep Nadal out for three weeks anyhow, so he could ill afford further downtime prior to starting his preparations for the coming campaign, which he will kick off at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Nadal has also been keeping busy off the court. Prior to travelling to Basel he played in an invitational golf event run in Provence (France) by Richard Mille, one of his sponsors, and he recently signed an agreement with the Cosentino group to help build a tennis academy.
Via Marca.com
Rafael Nadal's season ended last week in Basel, where he lost in the quarter-finals to 17-year-old Croatian wunderkind Borna Coric, the Spaniard isn't sitting around playing tiddlywinks. He is currently undergoing knee treatment in Vitoria, in the north of Spain.
Nadal has once again put himself in the hands of Mikel Sánchez, a growth factor injection specialist with whom he has been working since 2010 to ease the chronic tendinitis in both of his knees.
The Majorcan usually has the injections shortly before getting his pre-season underway so as to allow over a week to shake off any aftereffects, but on this occasion he has pushed the treatment forward owing to his impending appendix operation in Barcelona. This surgery, scheduled for Monday, will keep Nadal out for three weeks anyhow, so he could ill afford further downtime prior to starting his preparations for the coming campaign, which he will kick off at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Nadal has also been keeping busy off the court. Prior to travelling to Basel he played in an invitational golf event run in Provence (France) by Richard Mille, one of his sponsors, and he recently signed an agreement with the Cosentino group to help build a tennis academy.
10/24/2014
10/22/2014
10/21/2014
10/20/2014
10/17/2014
10/13/2014
10/09/2014
Q. How do you feel now?
RAFAEL NADAL: Okay. For sure not perfect. Same way that I felt before. A little bit more dizzy now. But that's it. Nothing that I have to worry about.
Q. Did you feel the two days in bed earlier this week caused you to lose some power tonight? Did you feel weaker in any way?
RAFAEL NADAL: What do you think?
Q. Can you tell us how it affected your play tonight.
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not the moment to talk about that. We talked about that yesterday. When you lose a match, is not the moment to talk about obvious things.
I lost. Feli played better than me. That's it. I talked about that yesterday, so I don't need to talk again about my health.
The only thing I have to say is that I am not very, very bad after the match. That was a little bit of risk. The risk is under control, so happy for that.
Q. Rafa, as you said yesterday, you were hoping today you would feel better, then you would be able to get on the court. Is it correct to assume that you feel better today than you felt yesterday physically?
RAFAEL NADAL: I feel similarly than yesterday. I had to take a lot of antibiotics for the last four days. Little bit aggressive ones, was inside straight (indicating intravenously in the arm). For sure is not the best situation.
The thing that I was more worried about play the match is I had some injuries in my career, but strains in the muscle I only had three times, and two of them was after the process of antibiotics. These ones were more aggressive, so I am happy at the end that I didn't have nothing worst after the match.
Q. You were complaining about the ball last week in Beijing. What do you think of the balls that are used here? Do they take topspin as much as you want?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't want the ball to help me to play better. I want a good ball. This ball is probably not the ball that helps more to my game, but is a good ball. So that's fair enough for everybody to play with a good ball.
For me the ball of last week is not a ball with the conditions of a very important tournament of the ATP World Tour should be. But the ATP thinks different way than most of the players. I don't know if they know about tennis, about the feeling of the ball. Sure they know about the tennis, the story of tennis. The ATP is very important. I don't know if they know about the feeling of the ball. If a lot of players say the same to them, probably they have to think about.
Q. You said yesterday you thought that you will need an operation. Have you thought more about when you might have that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I need to do the surgery. I talked with the doctor in Spain. Is a lot of risk when that happens one time. Even if now is under control, is obvious going to come back. I don't want to come back, to have the same thing when I am in Australia, when I am in Indian Wells or Miami or when I am in Roland Garros. So I going to do it before the end of the year.
Q. Do you think that will mean you will not play again this year?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I don't mean that. I don't know. I don't know yet today. My feeling today, and my answer today honestly is I going to do it after the World Tour Finals. You never know. Depends how the things improve.
I want to do it at the end of the year, not now.
Q. Do you mean that you will continue your schedule and keep on playing, or you will change your schedule and take some rest? What is your plan for the days after Shanghai?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure without think a lot about, because when you are on the bed for three days, the only thing you want to do is feel better, feel healthy again, and that's it. But my thoughts is continue with Basel, Paris and London.
Is true that the last few months I was not in the best of luck. I didn't have the best of luck since Wimbledon. I was playing a good year, very positive year. After that I was unlucky with the wrist, what's going on now. Now remain three more tournaments for me.
We'll see. Obviously the last couple of months have been little bit hard for me.
Q. When you served for the second set, there were guys on the stand yelling out. Were you disrupted by them?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I am distracted by my bad game, not by nobody else.
Q. You said your condition was almost the same as it was yesterday. Does that mean you're still in some pain, a little bit of pain, still?
RAFAEL NADAL: Little bit of pain. But that's not the tougher thing now. Tougher thing always, as you know, when you have few days in bed, the process that I had, even today the doctors told me that I was very, very lucky that I had not to go for surgery straight, can save with antibiotics. You can imagine that all the treatment was little bit aggressive at the beginning. In three days I am playing.
I am little bit more dizzy and feel with not much power than pain. Pain I think is under control. That's important. I think I was lucky for that. Unlucky for another things, but for this thing I was lucky.
(via shanghairolexmasters.com)
help spread it across social media . thanks !
Vamossssssssssssssss !!!!
10/08/2014
Rafael Nadal Pre-tournament Press conference in Shanghai (Transcript)
Q. Give us the news. How are you feeling and are you going to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, well, I'm feeling a little bit better. That's why I'm here. I had tough three days since I arrived here. My thoughts now is I going to try to play tomorrow, yes. I have to wait about how my night goes, how I wake up tomorrow morning.
It's almost 24 hours, so I have this time. I hope to keep improving little bit because I need. Hope going to be like this.
But anyway, is not ideal situation to prepare a tournament.
Q. But if it was today, you would not have been able to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. If I have to play, not. I didn't go out from my room for the last two, three days. Just to go to hospital, that's it. Nothing to do when you have something like I had. So just bad luck and accept, do the right things to recover.
Q. Can you tell us specifically what the problem was? Was it stomach related? A virus?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, it was inflammation of appendix. I went to hospital. I arrived here Saturday night, I think. That night I start to feel lot of pain on the stomach. I didn't sleep during the whole night. So I wake up tomorrow morning. The doctor came to my room to see how I am. The doctor told me is better if I visited the hospital to do some test.
The hospital told me was a beginning of appendicitis. So they were not very positive, but at the same time they told me the possibility to go for surgery immediately or just try to do a little bit aggressive antibiotic treatment to try to reduce that. They told me that sometimes that can work and we can avoid the surgery.
That's what I did. I was in the hospital on Sunday. Yesterday the nurse came to my room to put me again the treatment. Today I was in the hospital in the morning again. I did again the antibiotic. Seems like everything is under control now.
The normal thing is continue the evolution, the improvement. I don't going to go for surgery. That's a great news for me today. That's why I'm here practicing for 45 minutes and try to be playing tomorrow.
But obviously I am not in my best conditions.
Q. Appendicitis sounds quite serious. Have you been assured by your doctors that you're okay to compete, that nothing will happen if you compete?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, they were negative few days ago. Today they were more positive. They told me that after 72 hours, more or less, around 60 hours happened since I started the pain, the risk of going worse, when every day was little bit better, is always very, very low. Always can happen, but is very, very low.
Obviously with antibiotics, after what happened, they tell me there is no risk on that. So is my decision. They told me obviously it's not the ideal thing and just take care. But I want to try, and that's it.
Q. You hit for 45 minutes. How did you feel on the court?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is normal when you spend in bed two days completely, then today in the morning I did one thing early in the morning, but then I came back to my room to rest, then to hospital. When you spend more than 48 hours just on the bed, obviously the feelings are not the best.
At the end the positive thing is I am feeling better today than yesterday. Yesterday I felt a little bit better than before yesterday. I hope tomorrow feel better than today. That's why I want to try.
I am in Shanghai. I am here to play a tournament. If there is no risk for getting worst, is the same lose that if you don't play. If I don't play, I don't have the possibility to win. So that's it.
Q. There is usually a lot of pain associated with appendicitis. Do you feel any pain right now?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit. But, as I said, is going down. Every day was little bit better.
The positive thing is we take that very, very early, just at the beginning. That's why with the antibiotics treatment we were lucky we avoid that. Always having surgery outside of home is not the ideal thing. Very uncomfortable.
Q. How frustrating is this after coming back after two months with the wrist injury, and two tournaments later you have the problem with the appendicitis? Are you feeling frustrated?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, that's an accident. No, no, no.
Q. Or unlucky?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, was unlucky. But that's part of life, no? Everybody have appendicitis around the world. Not everybody, but a lot of people. Happened to me the last couple of days. At the end wasn't lucky, but at the same time was lucky.
That's part of the game. Always the comebacks are tough. Is another story than tennis and the comeback. But always when you are coming back from an injury, spend three months without competition, playing on hard court at the beginning for me in a very tough tournaments, always are difficult to have the right feelings.
But that's part of the game. That's part of the normal process. As I said in Beijing in the beginning of the tournament, I don't expect nothing from these two tournaments. I expect just to come here and play again and practice and feel a little bit again the competition, try to get in rhythm as soon as possible.
It's obvious that is not the ideal thing, these tournaments, to be in rhythm. Is completely different when you get injury at the end of the season and you start at the beginning of the new season that everybody start from zero, than when you have the injury in the middle of the season, and the rest of the players are still in rhythm. You need to recover. You need to play matches to be fit and to be confident.
Always is a process that I don't know if we have enough tournaments and the right ones to be on rhythm before the end of the season, but I going to try.
Q. I'm not a doctor, but normally in this sort of situation there has to be surgery sooner or later. You said in Beijing this maybe isn't your happiest time of the season. Would it make more sense to have the surgery as soon as you go back to Mallorca and maybe miss the rest of the indoor season and be right for Australia?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have to talk with my doctors when I get back home. Is true that the doctor here told me that one or another moment I have to take out that. Because when you have one time, the normal thing is that going to come back. Appendix is something, to not have risk to have that happen again, for example, in Australia, that sooner or later I have to take out.
My idea is take it out, but you can imagine that I didn't thought much about that yet. I am here in Shanghai, no? I just want to try. Then when I come back home, I will see the situation with my doctor. Let's talk about what's going on, and we'll see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Q. Give us the news. How are you feeling and are you going to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, well, I'm feeling a little bit better. That's why I'm here. I had tough three days since I arrived here. My thoughts now is I going to try to play tomorrow, yes. I have to wait about how my night goes, how I wake up tomorrow morning.
It's almost 24 hours, so I have this time. I hope to keep improving little bit because I need. Hope going to be like this.
But anyway, is not ideal situation to prepare a tournament.
Q. But if it was today, you would not have been able to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. If I have to play, not. I didn't go out from my room for the last two, three days. Just to go to hospital, that's it. Nothing to do when you have something like I had. So just bad luck and accept, do the right things to recover.
Q. Can you tell us specifically what the problem was? Was it stomach related? A virus?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, it was inflammation of appendix. I went to hospital. I arrived here Saturday night, I think. That night I start to feel lot of pain on the stomach. I didn't sleep during the whole night. So I wake up tomorrow morning. The doctor came to my room to see how I am. The doctor told me is better if I visited the hospital to do some test.
The hospital told me was a beginning of appendicitis. So they were not very positive, but at the same time they told me the possibility to go for surgery immediately or just try to do a little bit aggressive antibiotic treatment to try to reduce that. They told me that sometimes that can work and we can avoid the surgery.
That's what I did. I was in the hospital on Sunday. Yesterday the nurse came to my room to put me again the treatment. Today I was in the hospital in the morning again. I did again the antibiotic. Seems like everything is under control now.
The normal thing is continue the evolution, the improvement. I don't going to go for surgery. That's a great news for me today. That's why I'm here practicing for 45 minutes and try to be playing tomorrow.
But obviously I am not in my best conditions.
Q. Appendicitis sounds quite serious. Have you been assured by your doctors that you're okay to compete, that nothing will happen if you compete?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, they were negative few days ago. Today they were more positive. They told me that after 72 hours, more or less, around 60 hours happened since I started the pain, the risk of going worse, when every day was little bit better, is always very, very low. Always can happen, but is very, very low.
Obviously with antibiotics, after what happened, they tell me there is no risk on that. So is my decision. They told me obviously it's not the ideal thing and just take care. But I want to try, and that's it.
Q. You hit for 45 minutes. How did you feel on the court?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is normal when you spend in bed two days completely, then today in the morning I did one thing early in the morning, but then I came back to my room to rest, then to hospital. When you spend more than 48 hours just on the bed, obviously the feelings are not the best.
At the end the positive thing is I am feeling better today than yesterday. Yesterday I felt a little bit better than before yesterday. I hope tomorrow feel better than today. That's why I want to try.
I am in Shanghai. I am here to play a tournament. If there is no risk for getting worst, is the same lose that if you don't play. If I don't play, I don't have the possibility to win. So that's it.
Q. There is usually a lot of pain associated with appendicitis. Do you feel any pain right now?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit. But, as I said, is going down. Every day was little bit better.
The positive thing is we take that very, very early, just at the beginning. That's why with the antibiotics treatment we were lucky we avoid that. Always having surgery outside of home is not the ideal thing. Very uncomfortable.
Q. How frustrating is this after coming back after two months with the wrist injury, and two tournaments later you have the problem with the appendicitis? Are you feeling frustrated?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, that's an accident. No, no, no.
Q. Or unlucky?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, was unlucky. But that's part of life, no? Everybody have appendicitis around the world. Not everybody, but a lot of people. Happened to me the last couple of days. At the end wasn't lucky, but at the same time was lucky.
That's part of the game. Always the comebacks are tough. Is another story than tennis and the comeback. But always when you are coming back from an injury, spend three months without competition, playing on hard court at the beginning for me in a very tough tournaments, always are difficult to have the right feelings.
But that's part of the game. That's part of the normal process. As I said in Beijing in the beginning of the tournament, I don't expect nothing from these two tournaments. I expect just to come here and play again and practice and feel a little bit again the competition, try to get in rhythm as soon as possible.
It's obvious that is not the ideal thing, these tournaments, to be in rhythm. Is completely different when you get injury at the end of the season and you start at the beginning of the new season that everybody start from zero, than when you have the injury in the middle of the season, and the rest of the players are still in rhythm. You need to recover. You need to play matches to be fit and to be confident.
Always is a process that I don't know if we have enough tournaments and the right ones to be on rhythm before the end of the season, but I going to try.
Q. I'm not a doctor, but normally in this sort of situation there has to be surgery sooner or later. You said in Beijing this maybe isn't your happiest time of the season. Would it make more sense to have the surgery as soon as you go back to Mallorca and maybe miss the rest of the indoor season and be right for Australia?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have to talk with my doctors when I get back home. Is true that the doctor here told me that one or another moment I have to take out that. Because when you have one time, the normal thing is that going to come back. Appendix is something, to not have risk to have that happen again, for example, in Australia, that sooner or later I have to take out.
My idea is take it out, but you can imagine that I didn't thought much about that yet. I am here in Shanghai, no? I just want to try. Then when I come back home, I will see the situation with my doctor. Let's talk about what's going on, and we'll see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
10/07/2014
10/04/2014
Rafa #Nadal Press conference after #QF #ChinaOpen 2014
(Transcript)
Q. How is the wrist? Do you think it affected the match at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: The what?
Q. The wrist injury.
RAFAEL NADAL: I talk every day about that.
Q. You don't think it affected the match at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: No.
Q. What was the difference tonight playing against Martin? You've beaten him twice before. Was it the long time away from the court that affected your play or did he just play that well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Obviously, yes. Obviously what affects this is when one player plays bad, plays without rhythm, no confidence on the shots, having more mistakes than usual, being not confident how to play the points and how to win the points, that happens, no?
I was not playing well. But I had 7‑6, 4‑2, breakpoint for 5‑2, then he play more aggressive, and I play bad mistakes. That's it.
When you are playing bad, the opponent is able to push you in some moment of the match like he did, is normal that he has a better chance than me to win the match. That's it, no?
I say it the other day. I coming back from an injury. As I say the other day, is not the perfect conditions for me to come back. Probably is the most difficult part of the season because different facts that I spoke about the other day.
But that's it. I came here to two tournaments knowing that normal things that happen like today are going to happen. Accept that. Is practice here. Shanghai, even if it's a Masters 1000, today I cannot think about big things. I have to think about day by day, trying to do the best as possible to do again quick. But I need time.
Q. What would you be happy with at the end of the season? Would it be just being fit and healthy, having played a few matches?
RAFAEL NADAL: I know probably going to be hard, this last part of the season, for me. It will not be easy after what happened. Always when you are outside for a few months, as I said the other day, is not the same as if you are coming back the next season that everybody start from zero. You are coming back now, and the other players are on the road, are in rhythm. Physically you feel more tired.
Talking about tennis, as I said the other day, the balls and courts are difficult ones for me this part of the season, probably the most difficult ones. Shanghai is very quick. Last year was very quick. The ball is good. But is very quick. Paris and London we play with the same ball than here. So for me will be tough to find the right feelings.
But I going to fight for it. I going to work hard with the right attitude to play better than what I did today. I going to try. I will be happy if I finish the season and I am able to take one week and a half holidays and I am able to practice one month with perfect conditions to try to start the next season with positive feelings.
Q. Is that the reason you decided not to play the Tennis Premiere League, was to have more time to practice before Australia?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sorry?
Q. You decided not to play the IPTL.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sorry for that. You know how I feel after having an injury in important part of the season for me. American hard court season, that always give me lot of points, lot of positive feelings.
After that happened, I thought I will not be able to play in Asia this year. Will be not right for me. For me will be not the right thing to prepare the next season. I need to take care about everything.
I am not 20 years old. I am 28 and a half already, and I need to take care about the things that I am doing because the most important thing for me is be competitive as long as possible for me, more than be a little bit higher or less higher on the ranking.
Q. Rafa, did you find that once the roof closed, did that have any effect on the match at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. Nothing about that.
Q. In your career you've had three or four times when you have been out for several months. Does it become easier or more difficult to come back after that?
RAFAEL NADAL: After?
Q. After you've been out injured for a long time.
RAFAEL NADAL: More than tougher or easier, is tired, because at the same time it's like you start again from zero. Mentally is tough. Every time the same process start, bad feelings at the beginning. At the end, even if was a wrist, I was not able to practice the way I want to practice.
So you start again. You feel the body not prepared as usual. Physically you feel more tired. You feel more pains in the body. You don't feel the body working as usual. That takes time. That needs matches to be fit. Is like this.
But on the other side I did in the past well after an injury. I don't know if I am very positive about this last part of the season, but I am positive that I can be ready soon and be ready to compete well against everybody soon.
Q. Uncle Toni was saying he chose to walk away as your coach even before you have retired. Is that something you have discussed with him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Can you repeat?
Q. Uncle Toni said he may choose to walk away as a coach before you retire because he has a life to live. He thinks it's too much for him to handle the travelling. Is that something you have discussed with him?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. He say that he is not going to be my coach until the end of my career, is that what he said?
Q. He considered it.
RAFAEL NADAL: When he said that?
Q. I just read from some reports that he was saying that. You have no idea about this?
RAFAEL NADAL: First news. Still my coach, I think. He didn't tell me another thing. Talked with him yesterday on the phone.
Q. Klizan in last year's French Open and Wimbledon this year got one set from you. Today he got two sets from you and won the match. From your perspective, what kind of changes have you noticed in him so that he could win the match? Do you think left‑handers pose more challenges to you than the right‑handers?
RAFAEL NADAL: First of all, congratulate him for the victory. Is obvious that he did better than me. That's why he beat me. Always when somebody wins against another player, and he lost in the past, we have to talk about the changes that he did to make that happen.
I don't know. Only thing I see from my perspective that changed was I was not able to push him back. I was not able to play as I normally do when I am playing well.
He's a good player. He's able to play with good shots. That's it. He beat me.
The sport is not difficult. Is easy. When one player plays bad, the other plays better, normally the one who plays better win, and that's what happened today.
Q. When we were watching the match, we thought you had a lot of errors on your forehand, that your forehand condition is worse than your opponent's. Do you think the forehand was a major cause to the result today or any other reasons to explain the loss today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, forehand is an important part of my game, is obvious. If I am not playing well with my forehand, is obvious that I have a problem. Is obvious that today I had the problem. That's it.
Is not all about the forehand. The forehand is an important part. But the movements, the way that I am recovering from a not very bad position, but normal positions, I think he was able to find winners too easy. When I was defending, I was not able to play the ball long. Normal things that somebody does when one plays bad and I don't do when I'm feeling well physically, when I'm feeling quick on court, feeling that the opponent needs to hit a very good shot to create a winner. Today was not the case. When that happens, like I said before, that's it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
10/03/2014
#Nadal said he didn't know about Toni's plans & he talked to him yesterday. "Still my coach," he said. #ChinaOpen
@TennisNewsTPN
@TennisNewsTPN
Rafa #Nadal Press conference after #R2 #ChinaOpen (Transcript)
Q. There were 22 deuce points in the match. Why do you think it was
so tough for you and your opponent to win on deuce points?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I made a few mistakes on breakpoints, important mistakes. He has a good serve, so he's able to win free points. It is normal after a period of time without competing, only having one match before, normal that you feel a little bit the nervous, the pressure in that moment, because you need matches to be in rhythm, to be confident in what you do in these moments.
That's what happened, no? I lost a lot of opportunities to have advantage, then the last game was tough.
Q. You've been through two matches already here. What, in your opinion, is working well and what's not working so well after your three‑month break?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, in general I need to improve. It's obvious. My serve worked well today. But in general I need more rhythm on the legs, more rhythm on the shots, more good directions.
I am playing okay, trying to not miss a lot, trying to play with not too many risks. That's what I did today. It's the only way to have matches, only way to have rhythm. That give me already the opportunity to win two matches.
Tomorrow I going to have another match, so I going to play three matches here. That's important for me. Always in this part of the season, very tough draws.
When you have an injury, for example, at the end of the season, for example, if I am able to play the full season, I have the injury, let's say, today, and I don't play until the first tournament of the year, January, is a little bit different. Everybody starts from zero again.
The feeling is completely different if you have the injury in the middle of the season. The rest of the players are still in rhythm. You start again. Difficult part of the season for me because the courts are difficult. The ball here is ‑ I say it every time ‑ but the ball is so bad here. I know they have the contract with ATP for long time, but they have to make something, talking with the players. Lot of players are concerned about that, that the ball is not good. Is difficult to play my best tennis at the beginning, no?
But these few matches helps me. I'm able to practice every day with the good players. We'll see what's going on. Remain five tournaments for me, this one and four more. I going to try to finish the season as good as I can.
Q. In the previous match you said you hoped that your doubles match will help you a little bit. Do you think it contributed to your singles victory?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. I competed after a long time. At the end is a different story than singles. But gives you the opportunity to take the rhythm of the competition, to return, to serve under pressure, and gives you a little bit of extra confidence.
Q. What exactly is wrong with the ball? Too fast? Too slow? Too heavy?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know what's good (smiling).
Seriously, no, I think the bounces are not the same all the time. If you throw the ball on the floor, the bounces goes everywhere. Is not a question of winning or losing. I won in Rio with this ball. I won tournaments with this ball.
It's just that we're competing at the top level of our sport, tennis, and the ball is an important thing. There is a lot of good balls around the world. The brand of this ball is a strong brand. So if they have a contract with the ATP, they need to find a solution, change the ball, find another solution, because this ball is not working well.
I am not talking for me only. That's the feeling of the players out there on the locker room. Lot of players comes to me and tell me that.
But is not question of this tournament. I say it in the past. Is more than a year that we are playing with this ball, and the ball is bad.
Is not ATP Tour world‑class ball.
Q. Just on the different balls. There are different balls obviously used at different tournaments. There have been a few players with wrist injuries. Does that play a part in that?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me? Was not my case. But changing balls every tournament create problems because the feeling of the ball...
I understand for people who really are not players, probably persons who will read that, sounds strange. But the ball is a big difference. Is a big difference between one ball and another ball.
This week we are playing with one ball. Next week we are playing with a different ball. At the same time is a different ball and you need to adapt to the new ball in just two days.
That's dangerous for the shoulder, dangerous for the elbow. At the end that's the thing we are talking for a long time on the tour, since I arrived here, and probably before. Seems very difficult to fix that almost ‑ as everything.
Q. This week, does that make you feel more nervous when you play?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no more nervous. I said I don't have a lot of pressure. I had a good year. I was a little bit unlucky what happened in important part of the season, a season that in the past few years I played well. Played finals of the US Open, winning few ones. Playing some good tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati.
So was an important mistake. I lost an opportunity to compete in three very important tournaments. That's the negative part. The other negative part is I know coming back in the part of the season that I am coming back is completely different than if I am coming back on clay, little bit easier tournament, that I'm able to be in rhythm a little bit faster, a little bit easier. That's the negative thing.
Positive thing is another year I'm going to finish in a high position of the ranking, winning a Grand Slam again, and remain a few tournaments to try to enjoy the tour, the coming back. For me this last part of the season obviously is important. Every tournament is important for me. At the same time I want to finish with a better feeling possible to start the new season with good tennis, you know.
But for me now I am in quarterfinals here. As I say before, tomorrow another tough match. I going to try my best to keep winning. Every match is important for me.
Q. Just now you were named as the most dynamic player for 2014. Winning this award, what is your feeling?
RAFAEL NADAL: All the awards have importance, no? Fans say that, so thank you to the fans. I always try my best put all my energy on every practice, every match. Is a real thing. So thank you for that.
Q. Two days ago you attended Li Na's retirement ceremony. We know that you participated in a lot of players' retirement ceremonies. This occasion, you gave the flowers to Li Na. What is your feeling on that day?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for me was a real honor to say good‑bye to Li Na. Is a very important player for the world of tennis. Asia and China is a very important market for the world of tennis. She's the first one on winning I think Roland Garros, Australia, Australian Open. Is amazing what she did.
It was an emotional good‑bye. But she did a lot for our sport. I think she did a lot for Chinese tennis. She deserve to be happy in the rest of his [sic] new things she going to do.
At the same time is a girl that always was nice with everybody. So for me was a pleasure to be there saying good‑bye to her on court.
Q. Yesterday you met the football coach of Guo An. He gave you the suit of Guo An. Will you be there to watch the football game? Did you know this Beijing football team? Did you meet this coach before?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I mean, I was yesterday having dinner with him. There is the physical performance coach of the team that is from Mallorca, a very close village to my village.
The team of coaches have been in Mallorca for a few years. So, yes, I met them in the past. They are here now. They are happy being here. Is a new experience, good experience, for them. So I was happy to talk about how is the experience for them here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I made a few mistakes on breakpoints, important mistakes. He has a good serve, so he's able to win free points. It is normal after a period of time without competing, only having one match before, normal that you feel a little bit the nervous, the pressure in that moment, because you need matches to be in rhythm, to be confident in what you do in these moments.
That's what happened, no? I lost a lot of opportunities to have advantage, then the last game was tough.
Q. You've been through two matches already here. What, in your opinion, is working well and what's not working so well after your three‑month break?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, in general I need to improve. It's obvious. My serve worked well today. But in general I need more rhythm on the legs, more rhythm on the shots, more good directions.
I am playing okay, trying to not miss a lot, trying to play with not too many risks. That's what I did today. It's the only way to have matches, only way to have rhythm. That give me already the opportunity to win two matches.
Tomorrow I going to have another match, so I going to play three matches here. That's important for me. Always in this part of the season, very tough draws.
When you have an injury, for example, at the end of the season, for example, if I am able to play the full season, I have the injury, let's say, today, and I don't play until the first tournament of the year, January, is a little bit different. Everybody starts from zero again.
The feeling is completely different if you have the injury in the middle of the season. The rest of the players are still in rhythm. You start again. Difficult part of the season for me because the courts are difficult. The ball here is ‑ I say it every time ‑ but the ball is so bad here. I know they have the contract with ATP for long time, but they have to make something, talking with the players. Lot of players are concerned about that, that the ball is not good. Is difficult to play my best tennis at the beginning, no?
But these few matches helps me. I'm able to practice every day with the good players. We'll see what's going on. Remain five tournaments for me, this one and four more. I going to try to finish the season as good as I can.
Q. In the previous match you said you hoped that your doubles match will help you a little bit. Do you think it contributed to your singles victory?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. I competed after a long time. At the end is a different story than singles. But gives you the opportunity to take the rhythm of the competition, to return, to serve under pressure, and gives you a little bit of extra confidence.
Q. What exactly is wrong with the ball? Too fast? Too slow? Too heavy?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know what's good (smiling).
Seriously, no, I think the bounces are not the same all the time. If you throw the ball on the floor, the bounces goes everywhere. Is not a question of winning or losing. I won in Rio with this ball. I won tournaments with this ball.
It's just that we're competing at the top level of our sport, tennis, and the ball is an important thing. There is a lot of good balls around the world. The brand of this ball is a strong brand. So if they have a contract with the ATP, they need to find a solution, change the ball, find another solution, because this ball is not working well.
I am not talking for me only. That's the feeling of the players out there on the locker room. Lot of players comes to me and tell me that.
But is not question of this tournament. I say it in the past. Is more than a year that we are playing with this ball, and the ball is bad.
Is not ATP Tour world‑class ball.
Q. Just on the different balls. There are different balls obviously used at different tournaments. There have been a few players with wrist injuries. Does that play a part in that?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me? Was not my case. But changing balls every tournament create problems because the feeling of the ball...
I understand for people who really are not players, probably persons who will read that, sounds strange. But the ball is a big difference. Is a big difference between one ball and another ball.
This week we are playing with one ball. Next week we are playing with a different ball. At the same time is a different ball and you need to adapt to the new ball in just two days.
That's dangerous for the shoulder, dangerous for the elbow. At the end that's the thing we are talking for a long time on the tour, since I arrived here, and probably before. Seems very difficult to fix that almost ‑ as everything.
Q. This week, does that make you feel more nervous when you play?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no more nervous. I said I don't have a lot of pressure. I had a good year. I was a little bit unlucky what happened in important part of the season, a season that in the past few years I played well. Played finals of the US Open, winning few ones. Playing some good tournaments in Canada and Cincinnati.
So was an important mistake. I lost an opportunity to compete in three very important tournaments. That's the negative part. The other negative part is I know coming back in the part of the season that I am coming back is completely different than if I am coming back on clay, little bit easier tournament, that I'm able to be in rhythm a little bit faster, a little bit easier. That's the negative thing.
Positive thing is another year I'm going to finish in a high position of the ranking, winning a Grand Slam again, and remain a few tournaments to try to enjoy the tour, the coming back. For me this last part of the season obviously is important. Every tournament is important for me. At the same time I want to finish with a better feeling possible to start the new season with good tennis, you know.
But for me now I am in quarterfinals here. As I say before, tomorrow another tough match. I going to try my best to keep winning. Every match is important for me.
Q. Just now you were named as the most dynamic player for 2014. Winning this award, what is your feeling?
RAFAEL NADAL: All the awards have importance, no? Fans say that, so thank you to the fans. I always try my best put all my energy on every practice, every match. Is a real thing. So thank you for that.
Q. Two days ago you attended Li Na's retirement ceremony. We know that you participated in a lot of players' retirement ceremonies. This occasion, you gave the flowers to Li Na. What is your feeling on that day?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for me was a real honor to say good‑bye to Li Na. Is a very important player for the world of tennis. Asia and China is a very important market for the world of tennis. She's the first one on winning I think Roland Garros, Australia, Australian Open. Is amazing what she did.
It was an emotional good‑bye. But she did a lot for our sport. I think she did a lot for Chinese tennis. She deserve to be happy in the rest of his [sic] new things she going to do.
At the same time is a girl that always was nice with everybody. So for me was a pleasure to be there saying good‑bye to her on court.
Q. Yesterday you met the football coach of Guo An. He gave you the suit of Guo An. Will you be there to watch the football game? Did you know this Beijing football team? Did you meet this coach before?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I mean, I was yesterday having dinner with him. There is the physical performance coach of the team that is from Mallorca, a very close village to my village.
The team of coaches have been in Mallorca for a few years. So, yes, I met them in the past. They are here now. They are happy being here. Is a new experience, good experience, for them. So I was happy to talk about how is the experience for them here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
10/02/2014
The latest Toni Nadal interview(in Spanish) for @PlanetaTenisFM
Toni Nadal se confiesa en Planeta Tenis: "Mi adiós de las pistas de tenis está cerca”. http://www.planetatenis.es/entrevista-toni-nadal/ …
Toni has serious back problems and he will stop before Rafa retires
"How has your relationship with Rafael been over the years?" It changes like the figure of a father and son when he gets older.
"The relationships between people change. Especially with a big gap in age. As the relationship grows Rafael is changing.
At first I was dictating everything but as Rafael grows older it is the one to decide, not I, becoming repsonsible for his actions
...I have always worked with the idea that he was responsible, not me. "
"Do you have social networks accounts? " No. I think there is someone impersonating me on FB. But I'm from another generation.
I have little interest in sharing my life. I don't think anyone is interested."
"This August has been different for you. Instead of going to the US with Rafael, you stayed home. What was the change?"
"Obviously much has changed regarding recent seasons. We expected to be in the American tour but in the end we couldn't.
Always bad not to compete, esp when it comes to major tournaments like Rafa missed this summer but we had time to enjoy other aspects.
In life, you have to accept things as they come. In the world of sports there are times when injuries prevent you from doing
what you have been preparing but you have to eventually accept it. There are always reasons to be happy."
Abt his ret: I'm not worried about what comes next. I'm close to 'leave the tracks' whether Rafa retires or not. Keep in touch w tennis.
Rafa opened an academy in Manacor so I can work there. I have had several offers to go do things at different places in Europe
but what I have clear is that I want to continue in the world of tennis. "
and wouldn't like to be below anybody and that he has never felt uncomfortable being Rafa's coachToni rules out coaching any other professional tennis player, he says he doesn't like the tennis player-coaches relationships
"Is Rafa training the key to his success?" Training has helped but the key is talent. Traning can't make u one of the best in the history.
Toni thinks that Rafa might not have the same success with a different coach because he loved football too much as a kid
(Translation Via @Oliviaa_RN)
Toni Nadal se confiesa en Planeta Tenis: "Mi adiós de las pistas de tenis está cerca”. http://www.planetatenis.es/entrevista-toni-nadal/ …
Toni has serious back problems and he will stop before Rafa retires
"How has your relationship with Rafael been over the years?" It changes like the figure of a father and son when he gets older.
"The relationships between people change. Especially with a big gap in age. As the relationship grows Rafael is changing.
At first I was dictating everything but as Rafael grows older it is the one to decide, not I, becoming repsonsible for his actions
...I have always worked with the idea that he was responsible, not me. "
"Do you have social networks accounts? " No. I think there is someone impersonating me on FB. But I'm from another generation.
I have little interest in sharing my life. I don't think anyone is interested."
"This August has been different for you. Instead of going to the US with Rafael, you stayed home. What was the change?"
"Obviously much has changed regarding recent seasons. We expected to be in the American tour but in the end we couldn't.
Always bad not to compete, esp when it comes to major tournaments like Rafa missed this summer but we had time to enjoy other aspects.
In life, you have to accept things as they come. In the world of sports there are times when injuries prevent you from doing
what you have been preparing but you have to eventually accept it. There are always reasons to be happy."
Abt his ret: I'm not worried about what comes next. I'm close to 'leave the tracks' whether Rafa retires or not. Keep in touch w tennis.
Rafa opened an academy in Manacor so I can work there. I have had several offers to go do things at different places in Europe
but what I have clear is that I want to continue in the world of tennis. "
and wouldn't like to be below anybody and that he has never felt uncomfortable being Rafa's coachToni rules out coaching any other professional tennis player, he says he doesn't like the tennis player-coaches relationships
"Is Rafa training the key to his success?" Training has helped but the key is talent. Traning can't make u one of the best in the history.
Toni thinks that Rafa might not have the same success with a different coach because he loved football too much as a kid
(Translation Via @Oliviaa_RN)
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