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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 22, 2017

Rafael Nadal

Monte Carlo, Monaco

R. NADAL/D. Goffin

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is it the first time for you that you come out winning a match, going into a final, and being whistled at by the crowd, even if you don't deserve it? Has it happened before?
RAFAEL NADAL: Didn't happen in the end.

Probably sometimes that happens because sometimes the people don't have the whole information. That's the real thing, no? Sometimes the people don't know what's going on real on a tennis match. I can give a ball, and I did a lot of times in my career, if the ball is in my side.

The proof that I believe on what David thinks when I see that David marks the ball, I went to pick up the towel, preparing for the next game. You can check on the TV.

When the umpire goes down and says the ball is good, what I can say? No, the ball is out. That's why there is an umpire there. If the ball is on my side, I see the ball is in, I give the ball to the other side. There is realistic, no?

Well, for me is sometimes sad, especially in a place that I had a lot of success, in a place that I love. Difficult for me to love a tournament more than this one. But that's part of the business, too.

Sometimes that happens. I receive huge support from the crowd always, all around the world. Here, too, every day.

Today, I don't know why. But happened. That's it. But I'm sure is only a thing of today. At the end of the day, it's not true, when I qualify for the final, the people was (whistle) to me. Was during the match, not at the end of the match. Not at all.

Q. Do you think this kind of situation makes a point for having Hawkeye on clay, too?
RAFAEL NADAL: Tough thing to say. In my opinion, if we made that happen, then the Hawkeye will be on trouble, you know?

Q. That means that you don't believe that much in Hawkeye?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not hundred percent. I am sure.

Q. From the beginning of the tournament, you are more satisfied about your serve or your forehand?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am more satisfied with my backhand. I played very well with the backhand this afternoon, no?

I think I served well, especially after a couple of games. Is true that in that game after the 3-2, 40-Love for him, I started to hit the ball much stronger with my forehand, with my backhand, too.

Happened what happened with the ball, but that's just a thing that we have to separate. The real thing is in that game, after the 40-Love for him, I started to hit much stronger with my forehand, much stronger with my backhand.

That's when I started to create damage on the opponent. Before that, he was playing better than me. He was on control on the points from the baseline. I needed to change something, and I think I did.

Q. Do you have sympathy with Goffin? The decision would have been 4-2. I'm not saying he would have won, or it changed the results. Do you sympathize with him for this moment?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have a great relationship with him. He is a fantastic tennis player, but a much more important thing, he's a great human person. That's the real thing, no?

He's a very nice person. Humble, normal. I like him a lot. So I have a great relationship with him. We practice almost in every tournament together. With him, with all his team...

I understand that situation didn't help him. But we cannot be hypocrites and say in a tennis match that a point of 3-2 change everything. In tennis there is a lot of points, no? Is not in football that one decision in some minute make the difference. In tennis, we play so many points.

It's true that you never know what's going on. If that's 4-2, I don't know if the ball was good or was out. I really don't care because I know I didn't make anything wrong. I was hundred percent correct. That's it.

I am sorry for him. But I believe that at the end of the day he's happy that he played a great event. He's playing great level of tennis since beginning of the season. He's in a good position to fight for important things because he has the level and he has the confidence.

Q. 11 finals is very impressive. Is the feeling different every time for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, is tough to believe that I am again in a final here. Is unbelievable news for me. Is another great event. A lot of points for me. I know that I had to defends almost all my points at this beginning of the season. Having all these great results I am having since the beginning of the season allow me to still have the position in the top eight of the rankings. That's a very important thing for me.

I'm be able to start the clay court season playing a final in one of the most important events of the year. Personally, it's a very special place for me. It's something that makes me feel very happy. Very excited about it.

Q. Tomorrow you're going to play Ramos-Vinolas, another Spanish guy that is left-handed. You know him well, I think.
RAFAEL NADAL: I know him, but he's playing better than ever. He's winning huge matches during the whole week. He's playing with big confidence, with great spirit of fight, overcoming tough situations in every match, and playing at high level of tennis all the time, no?

I know that I need to be at my best to keep having chances, to fight for another title here. That's what I am looking for.

I believe that the way that I played after 3-2 of the first set, that's the way that I have to play on clay, not only tomorrow, just the rest of the clay court season, to try to keep having success.

Q. May I ask you if you had the chance to talk to Goffin at the end of the match or later, and you told him something that you can tell us?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was talking with him in the shower, but not about that, because there is nothing to talk about that. I was talking with him about who he plays against in Barcelona and who I play against in Barcelona.

There is no talk about this ball because if he has to talk with somebody, it's with umpire, not with me. I repeat, I cannot do anything from 20 something meters away from the other part of the court.

No problem with him. I talk with him, with the coach, with his physical trainer. I have a great relationship with him. He knows that I didn't make anything wrong. I know probably that he was right.

But I cannot say anything from the other part of the court.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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