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TMS - MONTE-CARLO

April 20, 2006

Rafael Nadal

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Are you satisfied with your level of play of today compared with yesterday?
RAFAEL NADAL: What do you think?
Q. My opinion is not important.
RAFAEL NADAL: Okay, so maybe I play better. I play -- I played so much better with my forehand especially. My serve, too. Then it improve a little bit with my backhand, no, because I am running a lot for play all the time the forehand, no.
But I am happy, no, I am improve in my level. I am practicing after the match. The backhand, it's better. So I hope tomorrow play good match, no.
Sure, I am in quarterfinal, I am happy for that. So now I want to enjoy the tournament.
Q. Maybe you are going to play Coria - maybe. Coria, you know that Coria is making a lot of double-faults. So what are you expecting for that game?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, but tomorrow, sure, he don't gonna has a lot of pression, no. Different than the other matches. So for that maybe he gonna serve better, no?
Of course is a tough match, no. I beat him last year three times, but all times very tough match, no - matches. So is 50% for any player.
Q. How much do you feel the pressure of repeating what you did last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I want to play good, but I don't think about repeat, no, because I know that's very, very, very difficult - impossible maybe, no? Win all matches was -- is impossible.
So I am happy I am improving my game. So that's my goal now, no.
Q. Where can you improve the most at the moment, in which respect?
RAFAEL NADAL: The backhand maybe.
Q. Which strokes?
RAFAEL NADAL: Backhand.
Q. Backhand?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.
Q. And serve, what about the serve?
RAFAEL NADAL: Huh?
Q. What about the serve?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe I serve better today than the other days, no. So in clay the serve is important, but not the most important shot, no.
Q. You're playing a very physical kind of tennis. Are you afraid of injuries because of that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Afraid, no. Not now, no. I hope the injuries is over. I hope I gonna be a long time now without, no.
Q. Coming back to Coria, can you understand what happens to him on the serve? It's only mental or...?
RAFAEL NADAL: I can't. I can't say nothing, and I don't want to speak nothing about the problems of the other players, no, because...
Q. Because you have your problems.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah (smiling).
Q. I know that there is a lot of questions about Federer, but is he some kind of an idol for you in special ways?
RAFAEL NADAL: If he -- if Federer is idol for me?
Q. Yes, yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: I never had idol, no. I never had idol. I admire him a lot because he's a very good person, especially for that. Second, because for me, is the best of the history, no. I don't know (indiscernible), but maybe he is the best.
Q. Are you kind of friends with him?
RAFAEL NADAL: What?
Q. Friends, are you friends, you and Roger?
RAFAEL NADAL: We have a good relationship, no. But the friends, you know, is not -- not easy for that. You listen me in English (laughing)?
Q. I'm listening.
RAFAEL NADAL: I can't speak too much, no (smiling).
Q. But you talk to him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. Yes, sure. Yeah, when he won anything, I send him SMS, no, always.
Q. I heard you call him like "Rogelio"? Something like that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Si, when I speak with him, Roger, but normally Rogelio.
Q. Who are your best friends on the tour then?
RAFAEL NADAL: Moya, especially because I have a lot of confidence with him, no. I practice always with him in Mallorca and I know him a long time ago, no, before I am in the tour, no.
So I have a very good relation with lot of players, no. In Spain, Feliciano. A lot. Alberto Martin. So I have a good relation with all, no. Ferrero. My best friend with out Spain is Monaco, no, from Argentina. But I have good relation Zabaleta, all players. Nalbandian.
Q. One technical point. Is it possible to practice a dropshot? Do you practice dropshot?
RAFAEL NADAL: Drop?
Q. Dropshot, yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: You don't like mine (laughing)?
Q. I just wanted to know if you practice dropshot.
RAFAEL NADAL: Dropshot may be the shot of the confidence, no? If you are playing good and you have confidence, you gonna be -- you gonna have a very good dropshots, no.
Sure, you can practice. I was practicing a lot when I was young. I don't have a very bad dropshot, no. Today I was -- I don't have the best shoot, but I don't have the worst. So when I am playing good, I have a normal dropshot, no. It's important shot on clay.
So is important. Maybe is not the most important have a very good dropshot, no. Is important use the dropshot in a good moment.
So you understand me?
Q. Yeah, yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: Because not always is -- you don't need the hundred percent good dropshot for win the point, no? You need do the dropshot when the opponent is going down.
Q. I was wondering, back home in Mallorca, how is life for you like as a star? It's very small, Mallorca.
RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, not very small. Is normal, no? (Speaking Spanish).
Is not very small, no. Is normal.
Q. Mallorca does not have a lot of stars. Is not big like...
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no, no. Moya. Elena Gomez, you don't know her? World championship of gym.
Q. Gymnastics.
RAFAEL NADAL: Gymnastics. Llaneras won a medal, Olympic medal.
Mario Fullana, Olympic medal with bicycle, too.
You don't know that, huh? So is not very small, huh (smiling). My uncle, yeah.
Maybe we have a good sport. But I ask you a question, no? The life in Mallorca is normal, no, because I live in a small town, a small village, Manacor, so I know all the people. But not now because there, we know them always, no. So I am not a star there, no, I am normal.
Q. How important is your family?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, maybe for everyone is very important the family, no. For me, is very important, no. I live united, I have a united family. So it's important. The family is important for me - very important. Friends also is important.
Q. Are you a good football player?
RAFAEL NADAL: Unbelievable (laughing).
Normal. I was practicing when I am young. Normal. Nothing special.
Q. Did you ever think of also becoming a football player, like your uncle?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I was thinking that before, no. But I am playing -- I was playing football, tennis. But I won the champions, European championship, then is the Spanish championship, so I decide then tennis. But I like a lot the football.
Q. Who is your favorite in the Champions League?
RAFAEL NADAL: Now Barcelona, no. Barcelona is the favorite.
Q. Do you often go to football matches yourself? Do you often go to the stadium yourself?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure. When I can, I come, no? I was sometimes in the Bernabeu, in Nov Camp, too. Mallorca, so much sometimes, too. So when I can, I go to the stadium. I like a lot the football.
Q. Do you have any relations to Switzerland?
RAFAEL NADAL: Switzerland?
Q. Uh-hmm.
RAFAEL NADAL: Federer, no?
Q. Except Federer.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Basel, I play the tournament.
Q. Did you see anything else?
RAFAEL NADAL: No because in Basel, I don't know if you know any special thing in Basel, because I don't know.
Q. Maybe you like chocolate?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I like a lot the chocolate, yes. That's very good. That's good.
Q. Maybe you put your money in the Swiss bank (laughter)?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. I don't want to speak about that because it's not my...
Q. What about your car? You had problem parking your car last time. You said in Dubai that you have many problems driving your car and the parking.
RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, no.
Q. It's okay now, you can drive?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am improving. I am improving.
Sure, in the parking I have a lot of problems always because I can't do a lot of lessons with the teacher because I never stay in Mallorca.
But, no, I need a big space. Driving the car is normal. Not very bad, normal. Bad, but not very (smiling).
Q. I heard you are a fan of Hollywood movies and stuff. What is your favorite movie?
RAFAEL NADAL: I like a lot "Gladiator," "Titanic." I like a lot the cinema, no. I like.
Q. It's a serious question. When do you think that you might be ready to challenge the No. 1 position of Roger Federer?
RAFAEL NADAL: First of all, is not -- it don't depends of me, no? Because if he won all tournaments, I don't have no chance, no.
And, second, I am thinking about improve every day, no. I am young, I just have 19 years old, and I want to improve a lot because if any day I have a chance for be there, no, for converted the chance, no.

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