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BNP PARIBAS MASTERS

November 4, 2015

Rafael Nadal

Paris, France

R. NADAL/L. Rosol
6‑2, 6‑2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Pretty happy about the start of the tournament? Do you feel the conditions of play on this court are just perfect for your game with the spin or...
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, the conditions are similar to Basel, maybe a little bit slower. But as I said the other day, no, for me, you know, because I had a lot of success on clay, people think that if the court is slower is much better for me, but I really am not sure about that, no?
The tournaments on hard court I have had more success have been fast surfaces more than in slow surfaces. But is always the same. If you play well the surface is good for you. If you play bad, no one surface is good for you, no? That's it.

Q. Do you prepare differently because of him, because of what happened between you and him the last time you played against him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Did I have a match? No, no, did it happen, many things. We play last week and was not a big history about that, study what's going on last week, no? I don't prepare different.
I play another match, and a tough match against difficult player because especially if he's from winning matches like he came here winning already I think three matches. So he's always tough, but I was play much better than what I did the last week in the first round.
So I played a solid match. Not many mistakes, I don't believe. I didn't see the statistics, but I don't remember a lot of mistakes. Serving more or less well and going for the points with my forehand. In general, I have been playing a very good match. I'm very happy for that, no?

Q. You said yesterday that the enjoyment is back. Two months ago you weren't having so much fun. You were feeling a bit nervous. Was there a point where you felt, Ah, this has gone back to the tennis I enjoy?
RAFAEL NADAL: Two months ago I was starting to enjoy again, no? I said in the US Open that I was playing much better, I was practicing good again, so that was the first step for me. Then you go on court and you lost a match that should not lose. So that's it.
Then what do you say on the press or what do you feel, that you are practicing better than you don't see the practices? You see the matches. So what you see is the results that I'm having, no?
But the real thing is in the US Open, I was practicing much better. Before that, too. I lost 7‑6 in the third in Cincinnati, too. So a lot of matches that I should, could win, but I lost. And that's it.
But after that, I felt that I am playing again better and keep practicing well. And the last three weeks have been very positive for me, two finals, one semifinal in tournaments that have been always tough for my career. I had a good start here. So let's see tomorrow.

Q. How much confidence did you get from Basel? Because of the difficulty of those matches, you often a few times dropped the first set and you were a break down. In terms of your mental strength and confidence, how important was that tournament for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, sure, all the victories, tough victories are important. What give me confidence, well, being honest always for everybody, the victories are the best medicine possible, no?
But at the same time, for me, the most important thing is doing a lot of time this year, I was not able to fight the way that I wanted to fight, and I was not able to try to find solutions on court when the things are not going well, because I was a little bit block mentally.
So for me, the big improvement and big confidence is when I am able to find solutions again, when I am able to think what I can do to change the dynamic and to fight the way that I am fighting again. That's the most important thing for me.
I know I cannot forget how to play tennis in that short period of time, so I think that's the real thing. Then need to be with calm mentally and need to knowing that that's in much better situation now, and almost fits 100%. I don't feel that nerves, that strange feelings on court that I had this year now.
So then now is time to work, time to do what we think that we can make improve every day, and then work to make that happen.

Q. From where you are now, what's the things you want to improve until the end of the season for next January?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me is not end of the season. For me is continuation season, and I don't want to stop much this year. I played IPTL. I take light preparation, too, and then Abu Dhabi beginning first tournament of the year, no, exhibition, but is serious situation. So I take everything like a practice.
And the thing that I need to keep improving is obviously the serve. I am returning much better. That's a very important thing for me. But I have to keep working on that. The return can be a big change for me next year.
And I have to keep working hard on my first serve and second serves. Today was a good day of serve. I served well. Need to keep practicing every day a little bit of my serve.
And then obviously I need the forehand winning, forehand winner back, you know? Down the line and across and then the movements is obviously that if I am with calm, I gonna move myself well, no? Is something that I am sure about that, no?
My movements have been well almost all the time the last 12 years or 15 years. So if I am with calm, I'm going to move myself well, no? If I was not moving as normally is because I was not well in the mental side because I was blocked. So then you cannot move the way you think or the way that you want.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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