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ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2017

Rafael Nadal

Paris, France

R. NADAL/N. Basilashvili

6-0, 6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Today's score doesn't show the intensity of the shots? What is your point of view of this match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I played great. Was my feeling, no? I think at the beginning of the match, I don't know what my opponent said or not, but in my opinion, in the beginning of the match he was not playing bad, and I was able to produce winners, to play with no mistakes, to play very long. Very high intensity in all the shots. Was a great match for me, no?

I won winning with that score against a player that already won against Simon and Troicki, so cannot say another thing. I played very well.

Q. A match like today which was relatively easy for you, does it prepare you well for your next match against an opponent that you have only played one time before, last time was back in 2014 in Madrid?
RAFAEL NADAL: Today is a great match. That's all. I really don't think about if that is a good preparation or not a good preparation for the next match. The only thing that worries me today is I played at a very high level of tennis and I am through, and that's very positive confidence for what's coming, no? But that's all.

Is a day that I'm happy the way that I played, and let me enjoy today. Tomorrow I gonna start thinking about what I have to do. I have a day for keep practicing. But the most important thing my feelings are very good.

Q. This was your 100th best-of-five-set match win on clay. You have done so many records, 53 clay courts and everything. Just wondering what that means to you. Are you a numbers guy? Did you do well in math in school so you keep track of these records or not so much?
RAFAEL NADAL: Math was the only subject that I (pointing downwards with his thumb) failed in the last year that I had the chance to go to school. (Laughter.) That doesn't mean that the numbers don't worry me.

Yeah, numbers that I have on clay are, yeah, important and I am very happy all the things that happen to me, whole my career, no? But especially this surface, been very happy all the special things that have happened.

Is not the moment to talk about that. Is the moment to talk about Roland Garros. That is the only thing now. Other things are there, and happy for everything.

Q. Could you compare your mental and physical state right now to a year ago when you were here.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. I was great. Before the injury of wrist, I was playing great tennis. I felt that I was ready to compete for everything. But I get injury. That's all.

Q. Does it feel special that you'll be celebrating your birthday during Roland Garros where you have enjoyed so much success throughout your career?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, is always great to celebrate the birthday here. I think only once or twice -- twice, I think, I didn't celebrate here and was not the best feeling. Gonna be good news that I will be here tomorrow. Just happy for that. 31 is a number already, and I am happy that tomorrow I have the day off. I gonna have the chance to spend with family and the team.

Q. We talked to Carlos Moya. He said the first thing he did to you as a coach is to brush up your forehand. My question is when he told you that you needed to improve your forehand, what was your reaction? Did you feel like why do I have to do because I already have one of the best forehands on the tour or did you feel like, okay, I needed to do that?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I know what I have to improve. Another ways, another thing is what I have to do to improve. But I am not a stupid guy, and I am not arrogant. I know when I am not doing one thing well, I need to work on that.

And I said when I was speaking with Carlos before he start the practice with me, and we were talking together with Toni, Carlos, Francis, the rest of the team, I think everybody was agreed and I was the first one to say that I need to recover my forehand if I want to have chances to compete for everything.

Because after saying that, 2015 was a very bad year for my forehand, but when you have your mind not there, when you have problems in your mind, then is much more difficult, no? So I was playing with, I was anxious playing on court, not self-control. Forehand was not there, no?

But is true that last year before the injury I was hitting well the forehand, no? When I was playing here, we cannot lie. I cannot lie when I am doing the negative things. But I don't want to lie when I am doing the right things, no? When I get injury here last year, I didn't get injury here. I get injured in Madrid quarterfinals, being honest. Before that, since Indian Wells until that moment, I think I was hitting well, great, the forehand. Probably not like today, but great forehand, no?

I need to keep working on that. I think the forehand is the most important shot for me and makes a difference. The backhand I improved a lot the last couple of years, I think. So forehand makes a difference and I need to keep working on that way.

Q. Changing sports, tomorrow night in Cardiff, what are your thoughts on the Champions League final?
RAFAEL NADAL: Very close match. It's obvious that anything could happen. Yeah, Juve I think didn't only receive three goals in the whole Champions League. Going to be so difficult. And Madrid probably one of the teams with more potential to score goals and I think have a complete team in all defensive midfield. And then offensively is very complete team, too, no?

Going to be an interesting match. I think for Madrid will be so important to score before than Juve, because defensively Juve is so strong. So if Juve scores before, then gonna be tough.

But after saying that, match is long and Madrid did have a lot of potential, but I think anything could happen. It's a close final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. It's been said again: 98-2, your record. Carlos Moya said that you needed to slip into your opponent's shoes. Is that something you do? Do you try to imagine what they feel when they are opposite you on the court?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I follow my own path. That's what I try to do.

I know that if I'm on the court and if I can reach a high level with sufficient intensity, I just hope that the opponent will need to play long and hard in order to defeat me. It's the only thing that I have in mind, doing things properly. Because when I play right, and when my game play level is high and that I keep it that way, things can turn for the better. The opponent needs to play really well to try and compete.

So I try to play every point. I'm not there thinking, oh, my goodness, what does he have in mind, et cetera?

Q. You just said you were a bad math student, but after 15 years and 240 matches, you have just had a huge Grand Slam victory. What would you say?
RAFAEL NADAL: I'm saying, right, I'm playing a high level of tennis. It was a very good match with very few errors, mistakes, very few options, opportunities for my opponent, who hits hard. My opponent loves these winning shots, and I think that I managed to bar the way most of the time.

I always played high balls to the right, to the left, and tried to play very fast. I think it's probably one of the best matches I have played in recent times.

Q. So you have a day off tomorrow. I hope you will enjoy that and then you will play against Roberto Bautista. Of course he's a friend but there are no friends on the court.
RAFAEL NADAL: That's not true at all. Even on court we will both be friends. We will both want to win, but that's the way sports goes.

But on court or off court, we are always friends. It will always be a very complicated match. I know so. I know that. Though it will be very high-level tennis.

What I'm going to do is focus day by day on what I do.

Of course I'm going to be focusing on what I do best, improving what I don't do so well. I have a feeling that I have played well up to now. I had, what, 75 first balls, but I can probably do better. The positive thing is that my second serve I played very well. There was good speed.

So I think that tomorrow I shall be working a bit on my weaknesses and trying to keep the momentum of my forehand, which is really good.

Q. You were having a chat with Toni about your game play. We saw that in 2008, for instance, your forehand wasn't that good.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it can't have been all that bad because I won in 2008. Today was one of the best matches I have ever played, without a doubt.

I am really happy because I have a really good feeling. Every day my training is going very well, my practice. When I have a match, I play very well. Every day is a new day.

Of course, Roberto is a very complicated, difficult opponent, so I'm going to try to keep my game play at a high level and try to go into quarterfinals.

2008, that was a long time ago. Why do we always need to look back to the past? I am concerned with today and tomorrow. I'm focusing on my next match, and if I can improve my game play here a little bit more, or at least preserve the same level I used today, I would be very happy.

Q. Last year you had to give up because of an injury. It must have left a bitter taste in your mouth. How are you envisioning the coming week? Is what happen to Goffin something you're worried about?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, it's terrible. It's really bad luck. I always thought that that tarp was dangerous and not in the right place. I'm really sorry for him, because he was playing really well, and he had every opportunity to get to the next round. He's a great guy. I hope it's not serious.

What was your question? Oh, yes, last year was last year. This year is now. Last year, of course, it was very tough for me, because I found it very hard to reach that level of game play. It was a very difficult year for me. I worked really hard to get up to a good level, and I had to give up.

It was the most difficult tournament. I had an injury. It wasn't the end of the world. I moved forward. Things happen in life.

You always ask me the same question. Of course it's difficult when you need to leave a Grand Slam. Of course, at the time it's terrible. But then you go back to your family, you go back to your friends, you go to the beach, you think about something else. You put things in perspective. Other wonderful things happened in my life. We need to be thankful for that.

Okay. I was injured. But for the time being I'm not thinking about injuries. I'm thinking about playing against Roberto Bautista in the next round, and then we'll see.

Q. It's your birthday tomorrow. Will you have time to celebrate? Do you have any plans? What type of birthday gift would you like?
RAFAEL NADAL: Gifts? I don't really need gifts. I think the only thing that I can really dream of in this life is good health. Good health, myself, for my family, for my friends. It's the only thing you don't have control over.

Celebrate? Of course. This is Roland Garros. I will try perhaps to go out for dinner with my family. But it's an important week for me here, and I think I do need to remain focused above all.

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