MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 24, 2024

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

(Questions in Spanish.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I think my colleague asked something similar in Spanish, so I apologize if you have to repeat it in English. Given your struggles with your body and that potentially every tournament you go to could potentially be your last, are you able to enjoy going to these places and perhaps being able to at least say good-bye the way you want or just have fun while also dealing with everything you're dealing with?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, well, moments, yes; moments, no. It's not the happiness or the word "enjoy" is not all the time the same, no? I mean, moments of course, yes. Moments, no, at moments I feel myself enjoying playing on court, practicing against the best players again. I'm feeling myself more or less competitive.

Other moments I feel limitations, and then it's difficult, no? Because at the end, when you say I would love to be here even if it's the last chance that for playing here, I would love to be here and just saying, Okay, I am here and I am good enough. Even if it's my last time, I'm going to try my best to have the best result possible.

Unfortunately today I can't say that, but I can say a feeling that is very important for me too emotionally is I'm going to be on court tomorrow. Few weeks, I didn't know if I will be able to play again on the professional tour, so today I am playing. It's not perfect, of course not perfect, but at least I am playing and I can enjoy again, especially in the few tournaments that are so emotional for me. I'm able to enjoy the fun that I can say probably good-bye on court.

Q. I think you probably answered this in Spanish, but what is the goal for this tournament? Is it different than the goal last week, for the last tournament, in Barcelona?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, unfortunately it's no different. The goal is be on court. Enjoy as long as possible. I mean, that's the thing. Try to finish the tournament alive in terms of body issues, and enjoy the fact that I will be able to compete one more time in the professional tour and here at home in Madrid, a place that give me everything, no, in terms of support.

So let's see. I mean, in this sport, I say it plenty of times, but that's true. Things can change very quick, you know. If I am not there to try that change, for sure a change will not happen.

So I am here, giving myself a chance. If at some moment my situation is improve so I am able to find better feelings in my body, I need to be ready, you know, and I will not be ready if I am at home without being what I am today.

So I don't lose hope. I just accept the situation that I have today, but that not means that in a few weeks the situation can be different. But today the situation is what there is. I'm gonna keep working, I'm gonna keep doing the things I need to do to give myself the possibility to be ready if that change happens.

If that happens, then it gonna be another conversation. Today the conversation is this one, and, you know, probably I will not say that if I'm not almost 38 here in the press conference, but, I mean, at this stage of my career, I am not here to try to create any misunderstand to anyone. That's the feelings today. And I am very clear.

Q. Rafa, when you talk about limitations, do you mean limitations caused by the injuries or limitations because you have not had enough time on court?

RAFAEL NADAL: Enough?

Q. Enough time on court.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, but I think touching the ball, I mean, I am not playing bad. It's about more body limitations, no. I went through a lot of things last year and a half, two years.

So body feelings are not enough good to feel myself playing with free enough in terms of body issues. That's not allow me to compete the way that I like to compete, I would like to compete.

But that's it. That's it. I can't say another thing, because I will be lying.