ROLAND GARROS

September 30, 2020

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/M. McDonald

6-0, 6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very comfortable victory. I'd like to ask you about Serena Williams. She pulled out with an Achilles injury, very serious. A couple of years ago you had a serious injury with your knees. How hard is it for tennis players to come back from serious injuries? Do you have any words of support for Serena?

RAFAEL NADAL: I really don't like to talk about things that I don't know very well. I don't want to speculate how bad is the injury or not.

Of course, is very sad news for tennis, for Roland Garros, and especially for her. Sorry for her. I just can wish her a fast and good recover. Is true that all the comebacks are tough, especially when you get a little bit older every time is more difficult, no?

She showed amazing passion for this sport. I really believe that she will be good in the next couple of months.

Q. Your opponent played an underarm serve today. Obviously it was not a very good take. Another player who tries it on a regular basis is Bublik. In general, what do you think about the underarm serve and about the tactical things that Bublik does? Is it for you a good tactic or a bit disrespectful?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, if he's winning, is a good tactic. If he's losing, is a bad tactic. That's all.

For example today for Mackenzie was not a good tactic. For Bublik, if that works, is a good tactic.

Is part of the game. I don't see disrespectful or not. If you do this with the goal to win the point and to do it... Is always the same. If you do it with the goal to improve your game, or like a tactical thing, I support 100%. If you do for disrespect the opponent, is not a good thing.

Everybody knows internally if you are doing in a good way or in a bad way. For me is no discussion about that. Is part of the rules, you can do it 100%. Is about yourself, if you feel good doing or not. Depends.

Q. The conditions seem to be improving in these days. How are you feeling the ball? Did you have any adjustments on your game for today? How are you feeling the court?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I am just trying my best every single day. I am working hard in every practice to try to be better and better in every match. Today was not that cold, so that's the main thing. Not that cold, the conditions are not that bad.

The ball is still heavy. When is not that cold, the ball is little bit less heavy always, no? I see the predictions the next couple of days are not very good.

Q. Serena said today that in her first-round match she had to try really hard to not limp so that nobody could see she was hurting. It reminded me of your good friend Tiger, how he won the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg that he told nobody about. Have you done something similar where you were in great pain but went to great lengths not to let anybody know? Why do you not want to show that?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, you don't want to show that if you really believe that you can keep going. You don't have to give advantages to the others, no? Of course, when you are suffering pain, but you really believe that maybe you win that match, then you can improve little bit for the next couple of matches with the doctor or the staff after that victory, then is normal that you are not showing anything to the world.

Then if you can't keep going, that is the moment to go and say, You know, guys, I can't any more. That's it.

That is, for example, what happened to me in 2016. I think I had to pull out in the third after the first two rounds. I won two matches. I didn't say much to the people, but I was playing with an infiltration. I know the wrist was in trouble, but I wanted to give me a chance. Then the wrist goes worst. That's a moment to come to the press and say, Guys, you know what, I can't keep going. I have to go back home.

Honestly is very tough moments.

Q. Over the years you've played some remarkable matches like the Wimbledon finals against Federer, last year's US Open against Medvedev. Have you ever played the perfect match? Is it possible? What would you consider to be the perfect match?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Perfection is difficult. Is a word that is difficult. I really believe that word in sport, especially in tennis, don't exist. You always going to have mistakes.

At the end of the day, the perfect match or the closest-to-perfect match is when you win. When you win, you going to have the chance to play again the next day. That's the goal in this sport. Is not a sport that you have to look for perfection. Is not a sport that you have to look for a victory to play better and better every single day.

Perfection not going to happen. But close to be playing very, very well, yeah, it's happening. Close to perfection can happen couple of times in your life. Then when this happens, when the best players are playing at that level, then the normal thing is that these guys wins the tournaments.

Q. It seems like during the first couple days here dropshots have been going on all over the place due to the conditions. In your opinion, who has the best dropshot in the guys and who has the best dropshot in the girls, if you have an opinion?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think Jaume Munar did a great job yesterday against Tsitsipas. He did great, a lot of good ones.

In the women side, I don't know. Is difficult to know. I can't say one honestly.