NITTO ATP FINALS

November 21, 2020

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/R. Nadal

3-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A tough match tonight. Did you feel as the match went longer you just lacked a little bit of energy towards the end and that's why Daniil was the winner tonight?

RAFAEL NADAL: No. I don't think that way, no. I think at the beginning of the match he was better than me. I was able to save my serves with troubles, but then I played well to have the break and then to close the set, no?

In the second a little bit the same story at the beginning, but at the end of the set I was playing a little bit better than him, and then in the 5-4 I think he played a good game and I didn't. I played a bad game. That's it, no? But I had a big opportunity. I lost a big opportunity.

Well done to him. He's playing great. I wish him all the best.

Q. Are you okay physically? Looked like maybe something happened towards the end of the match.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, it's all good. Thank you (smiling).

Q. Just to go forward a bit, Australian Open, we don't know when that's going to take place. You didn't travel to New York this year. Are there any circumstances where you wouldn't travel to Melbourne to play in the Aussie Open next year?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know what's the situation gonna be yet, no? We need to wait about what the government there in Victoria says. We can't do much from ATP position or just wait. We have nobody to say what they feels is better for his country, no?

We just need to be patient and accept the situation that we are facing. That is difficult for everyone. We need to be flexible to understand the situation and to find a way to play as many tournaments as possible next year, no, to continue with the tour, to try to help the tournaments, to help the players, the lower-ranked players to keep having job, and at the same time all the staff that they are living from our sport. Not only tennis players, no? All the people who are around, no?

So let's try to be flexible in all ways. Players, tournaments is a special situation. Hopefully with the vaccine that ends soon and we can come back at least to close to normal in a couple of months, but now is a difficult situation. Just hopefully the situation gets better and we can come back to a normal tour.

Q. Bad luck. After one hour and 24 minutes you were serving for the match. Is a player also like you feeling a lot of pressure in a situation? How do you explain otherwise how you could lose a Love game when you're close to make the final? Is that the pressure?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think I achieved enough to not find an excuse about the pressure.

I know I won enough matches and enough tournaments in an even more difficult situation than this one and even in more important matches than tonight. So I don't feel that way.

I feel I played a bad game. Of course you are nervous to win the match. But not me. Everybody. Is normal to have the tension. I think he played some good points and I make a couple of mistakes.

And that's it, and then he played a good tiebreak. Yeah. And I played, I should be winning my serve in the third, the one that I lost. I had easy volley to close the game.

Small details makes a big difference. Just well done for him and not enough good for me.

Q. Do you ever think it's a bit unfair that the Finals are always being played on hard court? Because maybe like if they would be played on clay once every three years you would already won the tournaments? Do you ever get frustrated about that?

RAFAEL NADAL: Now is not the moment to talk about that. I am a player to accept what the surface it is. I have my personal opinion, but is not the moment.

I just lost semifinal. I had my chances. I was close to play another final here. I was not enough good in the moment to close the match. That's it. Other stuff doesn't matter (smiling).

Q. Could you just reflect on the season you have had? You won the 20th Grand Slam at the French Open. Given all you have achieved, does that make it easier or harder to set goals for yourself in the next year?

RAFAEL NADAL: The same as always. Not easier, not harder. No, no, my goal is always the same: to go to every tournament and to give myself a chance to compete well and to try to win it.

That's the goal of every year. My motivation have been always the same. Next year gonna be an important year. I hope to be ready to fight for the things that I want to fight. I'm going to work hard during the off-season to be ready for the beginning.