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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 18, 2016

Rafael Nadal

Cincinnati, Ohio

B. CORIC/R. Nadal

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What specifically was the issue with you at the end of the first set that you called for the trainer?
RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, I feeled the arm too tired. Elbow, shoulder. You know, two months and a half without competing, and especially without practicing, and then do what I did in the Olympics, come here, different balls, too much.

It's not the ideal situation to come back to the competition. After two months and a half and with an injury in the wrist, the normal thing is try to come back a little bit slower.

But having the Olympics there I didn't had that chance. Now I pay. I pay that, no? Was a little bit too much and my body was to the limit since after the finish of Rio.

I came here; I tried. I tried to do the right things to be ready, but obvious that I was not ready today.

Q. Given all the tennis you played after not playing, are you able to take any positives out of coming here to Cincinnati?
RAFAEL NADAL: The positive thing is I was keep playing. That's the only thing, no? Is a big event; I am a tennis player. I want to play tennis, no? After two months and a half without competing, was not easy to take the decision after the Olympics to not coming here.

I didn't want to be back home. I spent enough time at home last three months. I needed to keep practicing, keep playing, and that's why I am here and that's why I'm don't going to come back to Spain before the US Open.

Q. Obviously you want to play these tournaments, but with hindsight looking back, do you think it was a good decision to come here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. Why not?

Q. You were just saying about the soreness in the shoulder and upper arm. Was it also going down through the wrist?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. The wrist is still the same. I said too many times already, spoke too many times about the wrist. The wrist is still bothering me but is a process that I need to pass and a process that I need to go through.

I need to play to go through that process. With more rest the wrist will not go better. The wrist needs to adapt again to the game. Needs to adapt again to hit the ball.

The only negative thing is in one week I pass from not practicing almost anything and playing 23 hours in seven days. So that's the thing. The wrist is not worse of that so that's great news, but is not better.

Still bothers me, but I need to keep playing. Day by day I hope that things going to go better.

Q. Over the years you have inspired a lot of young people. With the time at home you've had more opportunity to work with your academy and foundation. How are those experiences inspiring for you? Is there a moment that stands out?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, helping with the kids in the academy. Was great to spend time in the academy and watch all the things how the academy started. Enjoying to share a little bit of time with the kids. Was almost 600 kids in two months there, in two months and a half, so was a great experience.

I always had a special feeling with kids. I like to spend time with them, and I believe and I hope that the kids that came to the academy went back home very, very happy, no? So that's something that make me happy.

Then with the foundation, we are working well. Every year we are doing something better. Every year we are trying to help more and more kids. That's something that I feel happy to have the chance to help the kids with some risks.

Q. Because you're behind a little bit as far as practice time, even though you're fatigued, what is your practice schedule like? Will you take a couple days off?
RAFAEL NADAL: Probably, yes. I think I need to recover emotionally, physically, and especially I need to give some rest to the wrist, the arm, to everything, no?

So I am not sure about my schedule yet. I finished just half an hour ago. I need to check with my team what's the best thing we can do to prepare well the US Open.

I don't know if I am going to be practicing here again or not. For sure tomorrow I don't going to practice. Then I have to check if we fly to New York or we stay here.

Q. You haven't played in a while, but all the matches you've played have been best-of-three; the major is best-of-five. How much will that factor in to your ability to prepare physically?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am well-prepared physically. I worked a lot at home and I practiced -- in the Olympics I played like best-of-five. Played two matches every day and spend for and a half, five hours on court some days.

The preparation for that was good. It's not a question of physical. It's a question of being ready physically and be healthy. That's the most important thing.

Q. You have a history of playing through pain in matches and not quitting. I think in 2011 in Australia with David Ferrer you wouldn't quit even though you were injured. I wonder if today during the match you were thinking maybe that you should just stop?
RAFAEL NADAL: No.

Q. You seemed to be in a lot of pain on the court.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, not a lot of pain, no? I was uncomfortable, not comfortable at all. A little bit tough in all aspects. The body, as I said before, was a little bit to the limit and I played against a player that played well.

Coric didn't give me many chances. He was playing his serve huge, and from the baseline he didn't miss a lot.

So I need to be in better shape to compete against this kind of match. Was not the day to do that. Even like this I tried to the end. I had a break point to come back to 5-4.

You know, it's obvious that I didn't think about retirement because I was not at that limit, no? I have a little bit of pain everywhere, but the real thing is nothing like I had in the Australian in 2011 against David that I had hamstring. I don't know how to say in English. So that's it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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