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U.S. OPEN

August 26, 2016

Rafael Nadal

New York, NY, USA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations on your gold medal.
RAFAEL NADAL: Thank you.

Q. This seems to be the year of the wrist injury. It was a factor for you pulling out of the French Open. Now Djokovic is trying to come back from his wrist injury and perform at his highest level here. He was talking about having electricity treatments as one of his treatment options. Do you guys ever share information on what's the best way to treat something like that, or do you just have your own teams? How much of an impact do you think that will have on his performance?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know how hard it is today. I saw him practicing, so difficult to compare being two months and a half outside of the action. He was (indiscernible) for the wrist injury.

But I had a lot of injuries in my career. The people who was asking me for treatments, I always -- I always have been very open to help, no? Is always a pleasure, and I know how tough is being injury. (Indiscernible - audio quality/photographer interference.) Just I hope Novak (indiscernible) that he will be competing here.

Q. Did you have a chance to hit on the new Grandstand court?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I did.

Q. What are your impressions of that court versus other big stadiums around the world? Positives or negatives that you felt about the court?
RAFAEL NADAL: You mean the Grandstand?

Q. Correct, the new one.
RAFAEL NADAL: The new one, yeah, it's a good court. It's a beautiful and looks nice. It's a nice court.

Q. You spoke a moment ago about wrist injuries. What is the latest on your wrist injury?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I am better. I am a little bit better. It's obvious that when you have been outside two months and a half you need a little bit of time.

I try to go quick, especially in the Olympics and then competing last week in Cincinnati, but the wrist still bothers me a little bit. It's true that the wrist bothers me a little bit less every day. I need to understand again to hit my normal forehand.

During the wrist injury always you try to find movements to avoid the pain. So I think today I can start the forehand, I think my normal forehand, but still needs time to feel that I am more confident on my wrist.

But I am practicing well and I am competing well, I think.

Q. What was your sense of appreciation for all that Juan Martin Del Potro has been through with his wrist injury and all he's accomplished now?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he did a good tournament in the Olympics. Happy for him. Is tough always the situation that he had through the last couple of years.

Del Potro is an important player for the tour and is great to see him back. Is good news for tennis, and important person for our sport in South America.

Q. In Rio you looked happiest I can ever remember seeing you when you won the gold medal. How important was that moment for you psychologically for the rest of the year, going ahead from here?
RAFAEL NADAL: I enjoyed a lot, no? I was two months and a half outside of the competition, and not only outside of the competition, outside the practice courts. I couldn't practice, no? (Indiscernible - sound quality/photographer interference.)

The real thing is I arrived there and I decided to go there and just at the last moment knowing that I would not be ready for the competition. But, you know, the motivation, the passion, sharing moments with the team helped a lot, no?

Winning a gold medal is always something unique, and I think I enjoyed it as much as I can during the whole event. Singles I tried very hard, too, no?

I finished the tournament completely exhausted; very tired; no more energy inside of my body.

But I tried my best and I enjoyed it a lot.

Q. When you look at the amount of improvement that has been made here and the amount of money that's been spent on improving the tournament, and you look at Wimbledon, the money they have spent, as well, the Australian, do you think the Grand Slam tournaments are becoming bigger and bigger and that there is more of a distance between the Grand Slams and the other tournaments?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. Grand Slams are getting bigger because they have the potential to be bigger, you know. But when you have an event of making a lot of money every year, so and the money is not private money, you know, it's public money normally, you know, from the federations.

Then you have all this money to have the right distribution, no? To improve the event, improving the event, and to help the younger generations. It's obvious that the four federations that have the slams has a big advantage comparing to the rest, no?

But at the same time, is great and is great news that the tennis is getting bigger and bigger. That makes our sport more interesting for the fans, more interesting for the sponsors.

I don't think that the slams are the only tournaments are getting bigger, no? You need to share important improvements (indiscernible - audio quality.) Monte-Carlo, for example. That is a spot of history of our sport.

And at the same time you have Indian Wells that is improving a lot every single year that is huge, huge event.

So always improvements that are improving and others that are staying the same. And obviously another ones that are (indiscernible), no? But that's part of the business at the same time, and the important thing is the sport is healthy.

And is very important, as I said before - my opinion, just my opinion - to have all these improvements and maintain tradition like historic events.

Q. I believe you're a player that likes to have a lot of matches; helps with your confidence. So when you're balancing an injury like your wrist and coming back, do you feel like you have had enough matches coming into this tournament to go deep? How are you feeling?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. We will know that during the next days. The same is for me, no? The normal thing is you feel much better prepared when you are not coming back from an injury, when you are competing and when you are playing well, no?

I have been playing great before the injury. At the same time, positive thing is my last memory of before the injury is very positive, no?

I have been playing at a very high level. So that help me to play well in the Olympics, and I hope gonna help me to play well here. I think I am practicing well, as I said before. Always is a competition is tough, but I'm very excited to play here.

Q. For so long the big four dominated the major tournaments. What are your thoughts on the situation for the big four today?
RAFAEL NADAL: You mean Federer, me, Novak, and Andy? The big four, as you say, are getting older. (Laughter.) Is normal that there is new generation that tries to be in that positions, no?

But still Novak is No. 1, Andy No. 2, and he's in good position in the race. I get injured, is true. But before the injury I was the third in the race with (indiscernible) distance and not very far from No. 2. Roger, is true, having is tough year in terms of injuries, too.

(Indiscernible - sound quality.) Making two tournaments, Australia, Wimbledon. Let's see. It's obvious that we will not be here forever. It's true that Andy and Novak today are creating distance from the rest.

At the same time, it's true I have been injured and Roger, too, no? Let's see. I am excited about this part of the season. (Indiscernible- sound quality.)

Q. We saw Del Potro use that slice backhand so much in Rio. How important is that shot? Was it something that you used when you had the right wrist injury in the past to try to neutralize the court and then attack?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is another shot. All the shots are important. And how many. If you have more options then you are more complete player. It's obvious that depends. Is not the same importance the slice backhands against one player or against another. Is important to have the possibility to have slice backhand helped me during my career. Helped me during the years, and I think for Del Potro, for sure is helping him.

But the slice backhand is important if you have a good topspin backhand. If you only have slice backhand then lose (indiscernible - sound quality.)

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