AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2022

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/A. Mannarino

7-6, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Were you ever involved in a more exciting tiebreak in your career?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, you know, I played a couple of ones (smiling). But, yeah, have been a crazy one, chances for both. And, yeah, lucky to win that tiebreak at the end, no?

Half of the match in the tiebreak, without a doubt.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. As you said on the court, the first set could go either way. What do you think was the reason you couldn't even get close to break him in the first set?

RAFAEL NADAL: Because he was playing great. That's the true, no? He was playing at a very high level. His ball was super difficult to control out there.

The ball came so fast, and the serve was difficult to read, and he opened very well the court. Was difficult to return. Then I started to return more inside the court with the second, and I take some advantage there.

But, yeah, I think he was playing great. I suspect that when a player wins against Karatsev, the match that he won against Hurkacz in straight sets, because he is doing a lot of things well, no? I came on court knowing going to be tough match, and he's a player that have an ability to make you feel uncomfortable on court, because his style of game, no?

Is a victory with a lot of value, and especially the first set, a lot of value, so very happy for that. I was able to resist the tough moments in the first set. So, yeah, is a very important victory for me.

Q. Wanted to ask you about your next opponent, Denis Shapovalov, actually your first meeting with him back in 2017. I know you've played since then, but the day he beat you in Canada, what are your memories of that match? What have you made of his progress since then?

RAFAEL NADAL: Was a tough one, that one, I remember because I was playing for the No. 1 (smiling).

He played great. Honestly, he was very young and he played with amazing intensity and creating amazing shots. Yeah, as everybody knows, is one of the players with the biggest potential on the tour.

I mean, when I played against him, after the match I said he gonna be potential multi-Grand Slam winner. And I still think that if he's able to keep improving, he will be a multi-Grand Slam winner, no? He has a lot of amazing things on his game, and his results says that. When he's playing well, it's very difficult to stop him.

You can see today against a great player like Sascha, straight sets, if he's able to play regular in terms of his level, yeah, gonna be a potential very high-ranking player.

Gonna be a tough one for me. But I in quarterfinals, what to expect, no? I mean, is a match to try my best, to play at my highest level if I want to have chances to go through. And, yeah, I'm excited about it, honestly, no? I didn't expect to be where I am weeks ago.

Q. How surprised you have been it's not Sascha in the next round against you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Not that much. I mean, he was a bit favorite probably because of his ranking, but was not a clear favorite, Sascha in that match, no? Everybody knows, as I said before, how good is Denis when he's playing well. So of course you didn't expect a three-sets victory, but that what happened. I didn't see the match, of course, but that said, of course, Denis played a great game. I don't know if Sascha played well or not, but even considering Sascha was not playing fantastic today, to win in straight sets against Sascha is because he played a fantastic match, no?

Surprise? Very little. Honestly, no, it was not a clear match at all.

Q. You played a lefty today and got a lefty again in the next round. How difficult is it for a left-handed player to play another left-hander?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is not that usual, because there are not many out there, no? I mean, we are used to it, and it's a little bit different than playing against a righty, but that's it. That's how it is, no? We need to get used to that matches and adapt our game to that thing, and be ready to play well.

The way to approach the match always is a little bit different, but at the end, what you think is about play yourself the best way possible.

Q. What have you been most pleased about during the last couple of weeks? You mentioned that two weeks ago you wouldn't have expected yourself to be here. Why do you think you're here, and what has been most pleasing to you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for me, the main thing, and if you tell me what I am more pleased about, is about be healthy enough to be here. That's the main thing, to be able to play seven matches, something I didn't even know when I was here, no, so to be able to play seven matches, it's great news.

In terms of tennis, I am happy in general terms, of course, no? I did a lot of things well, and knowing from where we are coming and about the amount of practices at the highest level that I was able to do before here, the things are going much better than expected, without a doubt, no?

But as I said, sport changes quick, and you need to be ready and you need to be there at the right moment to get it if you have the chance, no? I have been working very hard in all terms for a lot of months, not that much on court, but in all ways to try to come back to the tour.

I am enjoying the fact that I am here and I am enjoying the fact that I am again in a quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, something that it's very special for me.

So very happy for that, and I am excited just to have another chance to compete again against a fantastic player in a match.