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LAVER CUP

September 23, 2017

Rafael Nadal

Prague, Czech Republic

LAVER CUP

Prague, Czech Republic

23 September, 2017

R. NADAL/J. Sock

6-3, 3-6, 11-9

Europe - 7

The World - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How exciting is it to be playing with Roger? How good are your chances playing together? Because you're not used to it, both of you.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, we'll be great, no? Well, we hope to be great (smiling). We don't know if we'll be great or not.

But, yeah, is gonna be a good experience. Excited about it. Let's see. Let's see what can happen tonight. Both of us, we have a very good motivation to play together. We look forward for that match.

That's going to be, of course, a special match overall, but at the same time, gonna be two very important points. Let's try to be focused and try to do the work the right way, knowing that in front we are going to have very tough opponents, no?

Is true that we are today No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, and probably -- well, the players that we achieved more the last ten years, but that doesn't mean that we're gonna win and that doesn't mean that we're gonna play good together.

Let's see how we manage that, and let's see if we are able to combine our styles together well on tonight's match. But we're gonna put best that we can to make that happen.

Q. This afternoon's match, you really got into it. There was some really exciting tennis played. What did it feel playing the match, and how much did you enjoy it?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it was close, no? Of course playing against Jack always is a big challenge. He played aggressive. Some amazing forehands. And I was there all the time, no?

I felt that for moments I needed to serve a little bit better than what I did. For the rest of the game, I think I was playing quite well, no? The serve needs to be a little bit better in this type of court, because I break him three times - that is a lot in two sets - and still lost the second set with a break, not in the tiebreak. So that's the only thing that I feel that I can do it much better.

Q. Have you ever considered playing doubles with Roger before in any other tournaments? And do you think that if the Laver Cup never happened you would have decided to play doubles at some point before your careers are over?
RAFAEL NADAL: Probably. Yeah, we talked about that years ago. Then didn't happen. We never talk again about this possibility.

But, well, today is a special occasion. Let's try to have fun. And why not let's try to play any other event before our career finish? That's what exciting to play in ATP event, too.

Q. The new format with two sets and a champions tiebreak, do you think we see the tennis of the future, or do you think that's strictly for the Laver Cup? Or could you imagine in five years' time, ten years' time that they play this also on the World Tour?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think so. No, no. Is very exciting for the crowd here. Makes this competition even more emotional, but I don't see it in tournaments.

No, no, I think is tough, decide everything in a super-tiebreak. I don't see myself competing for Monte-Carlo event on a super-tiebreak after one set all. I think will be not fair enough.

Q. We're hearing McEnroe's pep talks at the changeovers on the microphones. He's quite intense. He says to Jack, You have to finish the son-of-a-bitch off.
RAFAEL NADAL: Have to finish what?

Q. The son-of-a-bitch off. And then he says, Don't take no for an answer. This is the next step for you. When you are playing, are you at all aware of how intense McEnroe is? It seems very different to Borg who seems very quiet.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. With BjÃ¶rn, we have a lot of peace on the bench, no? (Smiling.) That's great, no? He's a great man. Very easy. We feel lucky to have him on the bench.

Q. How do you rate yourself as a doubles player? You're obviously a very accomplished one, but in your own eyes, how comfortable are you, or how do you see yourself as a doubles player? In an ideal world, if you didn't have to play so much singles, would you have liked to play more doubles?
RAFAEL NADAL: Ideal world for me is play singles (smiling). That's the real thing, no?

Doubles is good when you play with friends. I like to play doubles when I play with Marc Lopez that is one of my best friends; with Pablo Carreno, a good friend.

I enjoy because we talk. Is a different way to compete. Still competing, but at the same time, we are able to share these moments with friends, no? That's what I like on doubles. And of course doubles helps you to improve some things.

But is difficult to play a lot of doubles, because not only because of the demanding physical effort, just because at the same time when you play doubles you spend all day on the club. Every day you change the timings to play singles, you play very early singles, and then you have to wait a lot for doubles. You lose a little bit the rhythm on your routines, no? That's it.

And when the events are longer, you have days off. Of course in the day off is great to play doubles. When you have to play two matches the same day and play again next day, you know, I am not 20 anymore.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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