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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 9, 2019

Rafael Nadal

Madrid, Spain

R. NADAL/F. Tiafoe

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. Is it better to play at night or during the day? Can you summarize a little bit about the match?
RAFAEL NADAL: It is better to play well and then win. If you ask me in Rome for example, which is one of the tournaments where we have night sessions in the clay season, together with this one, I prefer to play during the day.

The conditions are very heavy here, with the altitude. The court is perhaps a little bit less quick than during the day, but it's still a quick court. But Rome is more or less the same.

I think I have done a really good first set and it's been a good match. In some points, where I had to suffer, I know how to suffer, he had two Love-30s and I played solid on those two Love-30s. And in general, I haven't committed a lot of errors when I was with my drive.

I felt quite comfortable with my shots and in general today it's been a good match. A little bit better than yesterday, I've had some more rhythm. We had some good points. The serve has been working pretty well during all the match, which is very important here in this court. And another tough match, even more. It was a very demanding match.

And tomorrow it's an opportunity to play a good match against one of the best players, so I hope to be ready to be able to give my best level to compete at a good level.

Q. You've made it to the quarterfinals with seven of the favorites, because of the ranking, and your opponent tomorrow has won two Grand Slams.
RAFAEL NADAL: Three.

Q. Good correction. This is a nice tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if it is lovely or not lovely right now (smiling). It's one of the tournaments -- it's a Masters 1000. We have the best players here and while a Masters 1000, where you have the 50 best players, sometimes there are surprises. And this tournament we haven't had any surprises.

It's a very demanding tournament. And luckily, I am one of the eight candidates to win it. And hopefully I'll be ready for tomorrow's match. Tomorrow's match is going to be a good test and I want to play tomorrow's match. I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Mentally, weeks ago you said you had a drop-down. What is your level now? Can you beat anyone on clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, that is something I cannot say, that is something we will see.

Personally, I'm feeling very well, which is the most important thing besides anything else. And from that base, I think that I can achieve anything, as I said yesterday, I don't need to repeat it again.

First of all, you have to be good emotionally. You need to have the energy to be able to go forward. Right now I have it, I have the joy, I have the energy to be able to do it. And after all, you have to go through a process, you need to give yourself some time. I'm not a big believer that things click night to day.

I think that things change step by step and more when you come from a complicated process like the one that I have experienced. And for me, there is a really key thing, which is the stability. I think that I have again the stability. I have been able to play two matches pretty solid. I haven't done super good things, but I haven't committed any errors. This is the base of my game. From that base, I have to just keep on going, keep on improving, keep going ahead, keep adding ingredients to the game I have right now, which is quite good. If I manage to add the proper ingredients quickly, I will be ready to compete both this week and next week in Rome, too.

Q. Talking about the more confidence that you have in the last week, I don't know how important it is that people here in Madrid support you a lot. Is it due to that extra factor that maybe this tournament in Madrid has come to a really good moment for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I'm not going to lie to you. Tournaments come whenever they have to come and the best moment is when you come from winning three tournaments in a row. I don't think that previous years when I came from winning Monte-Carlo and Barcelona it was a better moment than right now. For example, that I have just made two semifinals. This is what you can see. We are not going to lie and we are going to say that something that's not -- in Barcelona, I had good support and here as well. I have always said it in every single press conference, I cannot say it more.

I really want to say thank you for all the support and love that I receive from the people here in Madrid. So, coming here is not only the opportunity to be able to play well, and to be able to build-up my confidence, it's an opportunity to get more energy and all that love and support I receive from the people gives you maybe that extra plus and, hopefully, it will help me to go step by step and improve, which are some steps I need.

And tomorrow, as I said, it is another opportunity to be able to give my highest level and it's an opportunity to go out there on the court, to enjoy playing against one of the best players in the world, in front of my people, as I have always done. I think that my people are not going to fail me so I hope to be there for them, too.

Q. You come from winning against two young players who are the next generation? Maybe the veterans above 30 are not so important. Is it different now or is it the opposite? You prefer to face young players that have a lot of talent and perhaps people above the 30s have more dangers like Wawrinka?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. We will see that tomorrow. I don't think it makes a difference. I don't think it's significant and if it's real, I will say that I prefer one so far.

At the end of the day, there are moments for each one. It depends how they are playing. He didn't make it to a final because he wasn't lucky enough. If you ask me, what do you prefer, I will tell you another one. Young players have some extra thing. They have that joy, that will. When you play against those veteran people, you know what to expect. When you are playing against a young person, you don't know what to expect.

Maybe they can give that extra click and they can give extra performance and you don't know what you can expect and this is when you play against young players.

For me, I try to focus much the same way if I play veteran guys or if I play younger people, so you know you cannot worry about who are you facing, you have to worry about being fit, about being properly prepared, and about giving your best. Me, personally, I try to give my best and from there, if I'm playing well, if I'm playing good tennis, I'll have my opportunities.

And if I'm not at my highest level, I won't have so many opportunities and that is my reality and that is what I live for.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Stan played two very good matches against Pella and Nishikori. What do you expect from Stan tomorrow?
RAFAEL NADAL: I expect a very tough match. He is playing with confidence. It will be a tough one. He likes to play here in these conditions, fast court. And it will be a tough one.

The only way to win is to be able to play at the very high level, so I hope to be ready to make it happen. Let's see.

Q. The court 1 in Roland Garros, you played your first match here in court 1...
RAFAEL NADAL: Sorry?

Q. You played your first match in Roland Garros in court 1. It will be destroyed this year. Do you remember this match and are you sad this is the last year for this court?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I remember I played against Muller. Of course, I can remember my first match at Roland Garros. It was a nice court.

But being honest, for me it was so important that Roland Garros stays in that place because that's part of the history of our sport. But we cannot avoid that things needs to improve, not in Roland Garros, but in the world of sport, so it's normal that Roland Garros is trying to make things, to improve the event, to improve the things for the players, for the fans. So, I am not sad. I think it is something that it is a matter of process, even if it's a court that I like.

But it's the normal process of this world, but things happen and I think Roland Garros and the French Federation is doing a great job with the renovation of this amazing place.

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