ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2022

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/C. Moutet

6-3, 6-1, 6-4

Q. You got pushed there in the third set a little bit more than the first two sets. Is that good, do you enjoy having that at this point in a tournament like this or would you rather be done with it early and quick?

RAFAEL NADAL: I enjoy more 6-1. (Laughing) After that I think I played a basic set. At the beginning of the third I make a very bad game at the beginning and I had to come back. I did well. And then, again, I had a couple of mistakes in the serving for the match, happy that I played another good game to finish.

Well, I'm happy I am through in three sets, that's an important fact for me and that gives me the chance to keep working tomorrow and try to be ready for after tomorrow against a tough opponent. So let's see. I am happy about a lot of things that I did tonight, so let's try to keep going and keep improving tomorrow.

Q. This was your 320 game in Grand Slams, I think. How do you feel you have been going into after the first two games?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I know it's a work of every day, no? Preparation haven't been perfect, so I didn't anticipate a perfect start to the tournament.

But have been quite well, I am positive about the things that I did out there tonight. Of course there is room to improve and I need to improve if I want to keep having chances to go deeper.

But it's, as I said before, no, tomorrow another day to keep finding solutions and keep finding the best feelings possible. Let's see. I am happy now, just about focus on the things that I need to keep going to keep doing to be better and better.

Q. How is your health right now?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, thanks for the question, but, I mean, I talked enough about my health after Rome and before the tournament here. I am in the competition and I always, I think, I answered all the questions with full respect, but as you can imagine, now I want to talk about tennis and then after we're done, after the finish, let's see how things go with my body, let's see how the things keep going, but now is the moment to think about tennis. No, I can't try to go very deep in the tournament if I am worried about my physical issues every single day, no? So if something happens, it happens and I'm going to accept it, but for the moment I am focused on the tennis.

Q. Were you watching Carlos' match before your match at all?

RAFAEL NADAL: Not much. I watched a couple of points but that's it.

Q. How do you block out the crowd when you're dealing with a crowd that is obviously pulling for a countryman? They love you too, Rafa, but how do you block out the French crowd like you did today?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think the crowd was very nice with me too, no? I don't think, I, I really didn't feel the crowd against me at all. I think it was a 50/50 and it was supporting a good tennis.

No, I always enjoy a good support here in Paris, I think the people here knows how special is this place for me and how important and how much respect I always had for Roland Garros and I think they appreciate all the things that I did in this event, so I feel a lot of love from the people here.