NITTO ATP FINALS

November 17, 2020

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

D. THIEM/R. Nadal

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I would like to ask a question outside of the match, if you excuse me. There is a new program by Gael Monfils posted about the streaming platform to which is supported by the ATP. It's a platform where a lot of young people normally watch and stream video games but also now there are kind of these shows. I just want to know your opinion about this kind of show, if you heard from it or maybe seen it? I don't know. And if it's a good approach to ask for new young fans maybe also outside of professional tennis?

RAFAEL NADAL: I am so sorry, but I have no idea about this stuff, so I can't have an opinion, because first news about that. Sorry, sorry.

Q. Could you just explain how the match went from your side of the court today? You had three match points, Dominic had three match points, you did well to save them. Just run out of time in the end?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he had three match points but I had 5-2 in the first set and two serves in the tiebreaks. Have been a great match of tennis. Decided for a few small details.

Just well done to him. He played I think an amazing match, and I played well too. So my feeling is not negative. I lost, but I had plenty of chances in the first and then I had break up in the second.

Nothing to say. Just well done to Dominic. I'm happy with the way I played. I think my chances are bigger to have a very good result now than five days ago because the level of tennis, even if I lost today, for me is much higher.

Q. You played a great, fantastic match. I'd like to know if it happens, if you remember, you had a fantastic match that finally you lost. And how do you explain that you lost five tiebreaks out of six playing versus Thiem when you are known as someone who always wins almost all the most important points?

RAFAEL NADAL: No idea about that and no idea why this happened. No, no, I don't find a clear reason to analyze that.

He played well. I had my chances. I missed a little bit in the tiebreak when I had the advantage.

I did I think all the things well during the match. Just the only negative thing I was not able to convert some kind of key points that makes the biggest difference in the whole match.

But as I said before, my feeling is not negative. Of course sad for the loss, but at the same time, happy for Dominic that he played a great match.

I hope to have my chances. I think I am much more confident now with the level of tennis that I am playing than a couple of days ago. So I just have the chance to keep going, and that's what I gonna do.

Q. I was wondering if you could clear up something for me at the back end of the second set. After Thiem aced you out wide you seemed to kind of be speaking to the umpire. You seemed to think it was wide. Were you concerned that the Hawk-Eye Live wasn't calling it right?

RAFAEL NADAL: For me it was not that mark, but that's fine (smiling). That's part of the technology today and just accept that's like this. That's all.

No, no, I just feel sometimes that, well, I personally don't like this technology. I prefer to have lines out there. But that's how it is today and, no, no complain about that. No, no, is for everybody the same. So just I felt a couple of balls that was not the exactly the mark, but no problem. No complain.

Q. I was wondering if you have heard anything about the Australian Open and how you view the prospect maybe of this kind of two-week quarantine? Because you have spoken before about how you found the lockdown quite difficult in some ways. I mean, how does that sort of prospect from what you have heard? What do you think about that?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, as long as I know is a two weeks' quarantine, but we can practice during these two weeks, so it's not big difference, is not a big difference comparing what we are doing today. The only negative thing is we have to be there like 16 days in advance. That's the issue.

But for the rest of the things, when we play the tournaments, we are under quarantine, no? Every single day, no? We are playing just the matches or practices, and we are back to the hotel so is not a big issue as long as I know.

Q. Although you lost the match, you have shown a pretty nice round game, especially at the net. Do you think this is the style that you need to play to finally wrap an ATP Finals?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think even if I never won here, I really, I don't want to pretend to be arrogant at all, no? Because I am not. But I really don't need to show even to myself or to no one that if I am playing my best tennis I think I can win in every surface and against any player, no?

Is true, but I never won in the World Tour Finals. That's the real thing at the same time. So no problem about that. I know I have to play my best if I want to have chances.

Today have been a match that I played at very high level, and my goal is just to keep going, no? I have a match against Tsitsipas in two days. Gonna be another tough one. But I hope to be ready, no? I think playing like this I am confident that I can have my chances in the tournament.

Q. Dominic said before that his backhand down the line against you is almost impossible to play on clay, whereas in hard courts indoors it's easier and he seemed to do a lot of damage with this shot today. Could you elaborate on this weapon against you, which it seems like it's very important?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think he played great shots. Not only that kind of shots, no, no. He played well with the backhand. He played great forehands.

I don't feel he was creating me a lot of damage with that shot, no? I feel that he was creating that much with his general game, but I think I was creating that much to him with my general game, too.

I really don't feel that he played better than me or I played better than him. I think the match was very -- well, I think both of us played at very high level. He deserves to win because he played little bit better some key moments. That's it. That's the tennis in these kind of surfaces.