AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2022

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/M. Giron

6-1, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: You must be happy with your first match here at the Australian Open.

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, good, no? Of course, a good start. I played some good tennis out there today, yeah. I can't complain much. I did things well, probably a lot of things better than last week. I have to keep going.

As I said, is day by day. Today was a good start. Tomorrow day to practice. After tomorrow a tough match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You obviously have had a lot of comebacks from injury in your career. Has this one been different or harder in a way?

RAFAEL NADAL: Every one is different, honestly, no? Of course, when you are getting a little bit older, all the comebacks are tougher. This have been especially, well, difficult because is not only a comeback from an injury, it's a comeback trying to be back on the tour after almost two years playing not many events with the virus.

If you remember in 2020 I only played here and Acapulco, then I just played in Rome, Roland Garros, Paris and London. Six events.

In 2021 I played just here and then was clay, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros. Washington, yeah. Another six events.

12 events in two years are not many. If we add that I was not able to practice very often, too, it's a really tough one, no?

But here I am. I am super happy about all the work that we have done to try to be back. We are here enjoying the tennis, and that's it. We're going to keep trying hard.

Q. I wanted to ask about what you said to Jim Courier on the court about your foot injury flaring up after the lockdown at the start of last year. Do you feel it was that period of relative inactivity that caused the flare-up?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I don't know why, but that's the true. After that seven, eight weeks of lockdown everything was worst, no?

I tell you one thing, the knees have been better than ever after that period of time. But the foot have been worst than ever for the last year and a half.

I always had the problem on the foot during all my tennis career that sometimes especially on the cold conditions I suffered a lot. But I was able to play all my career with not many limitations in terms of competing in the tournaments, no?

After that period of time, everything changed and I was not able to practice at all or play the proper way during the last two years. So hopefully I will have the chance to do it more often.

Q. You won here a week ago. To win is always great. How important was it this time after --

RAFAEL NADAL: Can you repeat that? Sorry.

Q. How important was the win you had here in Melbourne a week ago to see where you are with the preparation?

RAFAEL NADAL: It's very obvious that the matches helps. Of course, the victory helps to play better and better without a doubt.

But what really helps is spend hours on court playing and practicing with the best players. I need time on the tour. Of course, playing official matches without a doubt, but at the same time practicing with the best players, too. That's what I need today to try to recover the level that I need to fight for the things that I want and be healthy. If that happens, I hope to keep having chances to keep going and fight for the things.

Q. Do you believe Djokovic should be playing the Australian Open this year?

RAFAEL NADAL: If I? Say it again.

Q. Do you believe Djokovic should be playing the Australian Open this year or do you have anything to comment on that?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. By the way, I am quite tired of that, no? Almost one week ago when he won in the first instance, the case, he was able to get back his visa and practicing. I said the justice have spoke. If the justice says his visa is valid and he's able to play here, the justice has spoken, so that's the fairest thing, that he deserve to play here.

Yesterday the justice said another thing. I will never be again against what the justice says.

Another thing is what I believe personally and what I believe is the ideal situation personally, no? The ideal situation in the world of sport, that the best players are on court and playing the most important events without a doubt. That's better for the sport without a doubt. If Novak Djokovic is playing here, is better for everybody, no doubt about that.

Another thing is what happened. As I said in the beginning, I can't say another thing because I believe that the situation is very clear now.

Q. On a personal level, you are the only champion left in the draw here, former Australian Open champion. Are you going to miss having Novak around on a personal level? You've been close rivals over such a long time.

RAFAEL NADAL: I always had a big respect and a very good relationship with my rivals, no? In my opinion, I believe the life is much better when you have a good relationship with everybody, especially in the locker room. That was like this during all my tennis career, with some very casual exceptions for some moments. That's my philosophy, no?

It's better to have a good relationship with everybody because then you are happier. With Novak, haven't been an exception. We always had a great relationship.

Honestly I wish him all the best. I think the situation have been a mess. He's not the only one that did probably the things bad in that case. Of course, there is more responsibles on all this terrible situation that we faced for the last two weeks.

But of course he is one of the responsibles, too. So in a personal level, yes, I would like to see him playing here. If is fair or not that he's playing here is another discussion that I don't want to talk anymore about that.

Q. On the title you won in Melbourne a couple weeks ago, do you think it has helped your Australian Open preparation to get some match wins on Rod Laver Arena already?

RAFAEL NADAL: Can you repeat that?

THE MODERATOR: (Translated from Spanish) .

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know of that helps to play Rod Laver in the first weeks. What helps is I played three matches under similar conditions. Yeah, of course, victories helps. Spent hours on court, as I said before, helps. Happy for that and happy for the first four victories of the season.

Today one victory in the first Grand Slam. Happy for that. One month ago situation have been different. Looks very ugly in some way. Now here we are, no?

But day by day knowing that everything can change very quick in the sport for a negative way or for a positive way.