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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

January 1, 2019

Rafael Nadal

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

THE MODERATOR: First questions for Rafa, please?

Q. How is the body feeling, Rafa?
RAFAEL NADAL: Good. First of all, it's, of course, feelings are always a little bit up and down after coming from a long period of time without competing, and having the surgery one month and two weeks ago or something like this. So, yeah, step by step. That's the feeling.

Q. You had a chance to train yesterday. How are you feeling ahead of tomorrow's opening match?
RAFAEL NADAL: After tomorrow, no?

Q. No. Before. How are you feeling ahead of tomorrow's match?
RAFAEL NADAL: But I don't think I play tomorrow, no? I play on Thursday.

Q. Oh, sorry.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Good. You know, I take it a day off in Abu Dhabi. I didn't play the second match. Always, as I said before, after the surgeries, I don't want to do it a step back. I want to move forward. You know, after all I suffered last year in terms of injuries, I don't want to do mistakes in terms of playing without being 100 percent.

So yesterday was a good hit; slow, first day after the jet lag. And, yes, as I say, in Abu Dhabi I had that feeling, that's why I was very sad, but I decided to not play the day after, to try to do the right things. I'm here, remain today for Thursday. So I hope to be ready for it.

Q. Just a question of nursing your body through each year, is it something you're more mindful of? You have a history of injuries and that sort of thing, just to try to keep on top of it.
RAFAEL NADAL: I never went slow. The thing is I always tried my best. All the thing that I don't want to do is suffer more than what I did last year because if you do years in a row, like beginning of last year or the end of last year, that's mentally kills you, you know, in terms of -- you know, you can't go every day on court and practice with too much problems, no, because then this is difficult to keep doing this.

So, no, I really feel that I had more or less a good off season, short, but good. I really believe that I have keep having tennis to play in my career, and I really feel that my body is not going worse every year. I just sometimes happens, accidents like happened last year in Australia. And then, yeah, I had the problem with my knees in the US Open. The knees is out there, always. It's something that's not new for me. Of course, it's tough to miss such an important tournament for me, like last year here in Australia, Brisbane last year, the US Open and Indian Wells, Miami, Acapulco, a lot of ones.

But at the same time I always think that, on the other hand, I enjoy a lot of fantastic moments in my career. So it will be not fair if I only talk about the injuries, no, because I had the chance to create a lot of opportunities to enjoy, a lot of opportunities to play in front of the best crowds of the world and to achieve much more than what I have dreamed. So my really only goal is to keep doing the things that makes me happy, and today play tennis makes me happy, and I want to do it the better way possible and as long as possible.

Q. Rafa, you were so close to being No. 1 in 2018, even after nine tournaments. You will have to come into 2019 -- I'm sorry, I got the wrong year there.
RAFAEL NADAL: Sorry?

Q. In 2018 you only played nine tournaments.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. I retired in two, so I completed seven early. It was a tough year.

Q. So do you feel in 2019 you can get the No. 1 ranking back again?
RAFAEL NADAL: I said a lot of times, it's not my goal. Since a couple of years ago, it's not my goal. My goal is just be happy doing what I am doing and be competitive all the weeks that I am playing. I want to feel myself competitive every week that I am on court and I want to keep fighting for the things that really make me feel alive, you know, for the things that motivate me.

So I will not follow the No. 1, of course, because it's not my main goal, but, of course, if I play like I played last year, that I played so well all the tournaments that I played and at the end I have a chance, fantastic. Of course, I prefer to be No. 1 than be No. 2 and I prefer to be No. 2 than No. 5. That's obvious. But my main goal is to stay healthy, stay happy and try to play as long as possible.

Q. Rafa, you said 2018 was a tough season for yourself. How does it compare to some of the previous ones, and what were some of the biggest, I guess, challenges you had to over come?
RAFAEL NADAL: It was a tough season in terms of injuries. I only played nine events and I had to retire in two Grand Slams; one semifinal of a Grand Slam and one quarterfinal of another Grand Slam. And these are important tournaments for me, so, of course, it's a tough year in terms of I didn't have the chance to play as often as I would like.

On the other hand, I won five events out of nine that I played. It was a great level of tennis every time that I was on court. So that's great news. I enjoyed it a lot. I achieved things that were amazing for me. So, yeah, tough year in terms of injuries. In terms of tennis level, enjoying every time I have the chance to be on court, it was a great year.

Q. Rafa, last week you played one match in Abu Dhabi. This week if you make the final, you could play four matches here. Would that be a good thing for your Australian Open preparation to play four matches here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Of course, if I have the chance to be in the final, it's always good news. But, yeah, difficult for me to think about that now. For me I'm focused on just try to have good body feelings and remain two days to stay on court, and I'm going to try my best to be there and to be there with positive feelings. And then if I am able to be there with the right feelings, then I'm going to fight for every day if it's possible.

Q. Rafael, will you look at a lighter schedule in 2019, just looking at your body and the injuries and that sort of thing?
RAFAEL NADAL: Lighter schedule comparing to what? Because if it's like 2018, I am not a tennis player anymore.

Q. I mean just looking at the year, you want to play as many as you can?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play -- you know, a little bit tired of asking these kind of questions, because I have these questions very often, you know. I'm going to play when I feel ready to play, and I'm going to play the things that makes me happy to play. I have plenty of years on the Tour. I know the things that works well for me. I know the things that don't work as well for me. And even playing not match, you can have troubles or playing a lot, you can have troubles. So playing a lot you will not or playing just a few tournaments you will have troubles.

So it's very difficult to analyze, and it's very difficult to say I'm going to play this, I'm going to play that thing. The thing is not about how many tournaments you play; it's about how many matches you play. And my schedule is more or less done. Then always things can change.

Q. Rafa, please excuse this question. I think you've already answered. But are you positive that you'll be playing round one here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Round one here?

Q. Are you certain you'll play round one here?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope so. That's why I am here. If I really thought that I will not play here, it will be difficult for me to be here and to be around, to be in front of you today. But as I said, I don't want to make step backs. I want to make step forwards. And for me the main thing is do the things the better way possible to stay healthy. So that's the answer. My goal is, of course, to be on court on Thursday and to be on court with a positive feeling.

Q. Rafa, you've won so much, but you've never won here in Brisbane. What would it mean for you to win here in Brisbane and what do you like about this tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, it means a lot to win everywhere. Every tournament that I achieved was very special. No one tournament was not special. And I am here because I love it in 2017. I had been here for the first time in 2017 in my career. I enjoyed a lot. Being honest, the tournament is great. It's a very familiar event, with a great atmosphere out there. The people here in Brisbane and Australia in general are very enthusiastic. I enjoy a lot playing in front of them. I always have a great connection with the crowd, and it was a great experience in 2017.

I miss it last year. It was a tough decision to not come here last year, and I am here to try my best again. And I hope to have the chance to play in front of this great crowd and to fight for important things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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