UNITED CUP

December 28, 2022

Marc Lopez

Rafael Nadal

Paula Badosa

Pablo Carreno Busta

Nuria Parrizas Diaz

Albert Ramos-Vinolas

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

David Vega Hernandez

Team Spain

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have here Team Spain, with the captain Marc Lopez.

How much do you look forward to this, Marc? Tell us about your first tie Saturday against Great Britain.

CAPTAIN LOPEZ: Thank you for your question.

First of all, I would say I'm so happy to be here as a captain. This team is amazing. We try our best for try to win this competition.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Rafa, with tennis being such an individual sport, how great is it to join forces together as a team this week? A little bit different.

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it's always different when you play like team. We are used to play on Davis Cup or Fed Cup I think. I mean, is nothing 100% new, but at the same time it's the first time that we share forces between men, women. Different story for us. Going to be exciting.

Yeah, I looking forward about how this new competition is working and how the things going to develop during the next couple of days. I think we can create a good team atmosphere, and hopefully we can start well because we know we have a very tough group.

Q. Rafa, how is it traveling and playing a tournament as a new dad? Is it affecting your sleep in any way?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the first event I play like a father without the baby with me, I lost first round. Second event, traveling with the baby, I was out of the group stage (laughter). At the end I won my last match, but I need to keep improving, no?

Easy. We have some help. No problem at all. Just I need to organize little bit my life, as everybody needs to do when you have a child in your life.

Excited to be in Australia one more time. Hope to be ready to enjoy our month here in Australia. Excited to play this competition for the first time. Then let's see. We are focused now on this event. Let's try our best and let's see how far we can go.

Q. Sleeping well?

RAFAEL NADAL: I am sleeping well, yeah.

Q. Paula, talk a little bit about how you feel at the start of this season. Is the battery full? Excitement? Just the pressures of playing a team event, how different that feels for you.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I mean, I'm very happy to be back here. I have amazing memories of this tournament. For me it's a new event, as well, new experience. Sharing as well with the males, playing as a team, I think that's an amazing experience as well. I'm really looking forward for that.

No pressure. I mean, of course, you want to win the matches and help the team. But, yeah, I will try to do my best. I think it's very important to stick together when you play as a country.

Yeah, making a good atmosphere. I think what we have in Spain is that we have very competitive players, fighters. I think we will show since the beginning.

Q. Rafa, you mentioned it was good to be making another trip to Australia. Could this be the last time we see you in Australia?

RAFAEL NADAL: Can you say again?

Q. Do you think this could be the last time, your last trip to Australia?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, as a professional you never know. I mean, hopefully not. I mean, when you are at the age of 36, you never know when going to be the last one. It's obvious, but don't like to talk about that because I am not in that mood now. Just focus on try to play at the highest level possible and give myself possibility to keep being competitive, to fight for anything.

That's my goal now. Not thinking about it being my last time here. If that's the last time, let's try to enjoy as much as possible. Let's try to create something special, no?

But, no, I am happy doing what I am doing. I'm looking forward to keep doing this.

Q. Rafa, on that, how is your body feeling? How is your motivation at the start of another year?

RAFAEL NADAL: Always the beginning of the season are exciting. For everybody is a new thing, all the doubts, how the things going to go. Even if I don't know how many seasons I have on the tour, beginnings are always, I mean, different.

Yeah, highest motivation to try to start well. It's always important to start well for me, for the confidence. Last few months haven't been easy for me.

Yeah, just try to have the right practice here before the tournament start. Then of course, try to help the team. Main thing for me now is recover the positive feelings on court, being competitive. I hope to. I am ready to make that happen, but let's see.

Q. What do you think about your matchups here? In particular, the game against Nick Kyrgios. Also now that Novak Djokovic is back in Australia, are you happy to see him return and try to take the Australian Open again from you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know. I am focused on try to have a good practice today. Going to be my first practice. I don't have an idea about what to talk about the Kyrgios match right now. Only thing that I am focused now is try to put myself in a competitive level.

First match going to be against Cam Norrie, so that's the focus now. Then for me I think is to try to win the first tie as a team more than any individual match. Then let's see what can happen against Australia. But that's it.

Novak is here. Good for tennis. Good for probably the fans. Let's see, no? Best players on court always win.

Q. Pablo, you face good tests against Australia and Britain. How do you feel about the matchups going into the new season?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, we have a very tough group. But you know is the first tournament of the year, so we need to improve our level. Always is difficult to start the year. We need the rhythm. Will be very important this first practice here in Australia, Sydney. We'll see.

But we are a very good team. We have Rafa, we have Paula. We are ready to fight for win the group and we see.

Q. Paula, you came off of playing Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup last fall. What kind of experience do you take out of that?

PAULA BADOSA: I'm playing the same match again, so I'm prepared for that. The things when you lose against players, the main thing is that you learn from it. That's what I tried to do.

Yeah, I have another opportunity again to play against her. Great Britain is always a tough tie. Yeah, I'm preparing for that match, focus on that. Let's see how it goes.

Q. Rafa, one more about Nick Kyrgios. Do you think he can win a Grand Slam on home soil in Australia? Do you still feel Wimbledon would be his best chance?

RAFAEL NADAL: I know he doesn't like a lot to play Roland Garros. That's the only tournament that looks like he doesn't like to play that much. The rest of the tournaments, he played final in Wimbledon, in New York he was close with the finals I think, with a very positive chance. He can win in any tournament that he's playing. He has all the talent, the weapons to win against any player.

Of course he can.