ROLAND GARROS

June 9, 2021

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/D. Schwartzman

6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your results here at Roland Garros, 105 wins from 107 matches, some of the most extraordinary figures in world sport. Do you sometimes reflect on what you achieve here in Paris?

RAFAEL NADAL: Of course, the numbers are just amazing, no? But I can't think about that now, honestly. Let's talk about that when I finish my career. Now is a moment to be happy. I won an important match today against a tough opponent. I was able to find a way to play my best tennis in the moment that I really needed, no?

Something very important for me. A lot of confidence after that. And, yeah, it's a moment to enjoy today and to try to start preparing for that semifinals in terms of recovery, in terms of practice little bit tomorrow to confirm the good feelings at the end of the match, so that's it.

Q. I don't mean to count out Matteo in any way because he's obviously got a great chance tonight, but what is it like to play someone 57 times in your career and to still be bringing out the best in each other, pushing each other to the limits?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, let's see what's going on tonight, no? But if is that the case, we know each other well. Everybody knows that in these kind of matches anything can happen. The player who is playing better that day is the player that going to have better chances, no?

That's it. Probably if that happen, going to be an important match for both of us. But is a semifinals. You know, is not a final. That's a big difference. Even the winner of that match needs to keep going and remain a lot of work to do to try to achieve the final goal here.

Yeah, going to be interesting semifinals match tonight. I going to be watching a bit. I going to enjoy the match. Well, let's see. I just can do what's in my hands, no? What's in my hands is to be ready to play at my highest level on Friday. That's the goal.

Q. Quite a few commentators suggested that facing you at Roland Garros best-of-five sets is the hardest challenge in the whole of sport. What do you think of that? Could you give us some examples of what you think are the hardest challenges in sport?

RAFAEL NADAL: I am not the one to talk about myself, no? I don't like. I really don't think that I am the person that I need to talk about myself in this way at all. I mean, of course, as I said before, I can't avoid that I had great numbers here in Roland Garros. I mean, a lot of great sports people, women, men, did amazing things in the world of sport in the history, no?

I mean, just that commentators think about me on that way is something that I am proud of it, it's an honor for me. As I said, just thanks for the comments. I can't give you an answer on that. Sorry. I don't want to have an opinion because I don't really have it. I don't have all the statistics to have a clear opinion.

Q. Regarding tonight's match, it's been a while since you had lost a set at Roland Garros. What was your mindset after that second set because you finished strongly today after that? Also, you have a career Grand Slam, you've won many titles in many places. Is your self-confidence that much stronger here than in other places because of all of the success you've had here?

RAFAEL NADAL: I am self-confident if I am playing well. If I'm not playing well, doesn't matter where you are. That's the thing, no? Of course, there is places that for some reason you feel playing well more often than in other places.

But, no, I mean, I have been in a tricky situation, 4-3 for him in the third set, one set all. Then was the moment to calm myself, to think about the things that I was doing well on practices, just to try to make it happen. That was the moment to make it happen because was a tough, tough moment. I'm very proud that in that moment probably the best level of tennis that I had I showed up until that 4-3 against, until the end of the match, no, with not many mistakes, hitting a lot of winners, starting to hit the forehand down the line, playing more angles, playing longer with my forehand cross, returning a little bit better.

I mean, my serve I think started to work better in that third set. But it's normal. I mean, I don't pretend to come here and not losing sets. Is not my mindset come here and just thinking about lose a set going to be a disaster for me. I mean, that's part of the game. We are facing the best players of the world. Lose sets is something I accepted well, I accepted during all my tennis career. The thing that matter is how you recover from a set lost.

Q. Are you able to indicate what is the best thing and what is the worst thing about playing Novak Djokovic?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, best thing is you know that you need to play your best tennis. It's a match that you know what you have to do if you really want to have chances to success and to keep going on the tournament. Always a big challenge. That's something that is good because in some way we are practicing, we are living the sport for these moments. So that's a good thing.

The negative thing, it's difficult because you play against one of the best players of the history. That's how it is.