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ROGERS MASTERS

August 7, 2006

Rafael Nadal

TORONTO, ONTARIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafael.

Q. How have you spent your time since Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: So I have one week off at home doing some activities, some accidents with the car.

Q. We read about that. What happened?
RAFAEL NADAL: Big mess, no? Is nothing special. I was 30 kilometers for hour, so very slow. How you say, distraction?
I stay home fishing, go to the beach the first week. After the next week I begin little bit practicing, not much, one hour and a half every day. After I have one thing with Nike in Amsterdam. After I have three days with the all family, 30 people, 30 persons, in Euro Disney, parties. I start preparing for here, no?
So that's my schedule.

Q. When you are away from tennis, do you miss the competition?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not much. Sometimes yes, but not much because I was playing a lot the last months, I was a little bit tired. I have a little bit problem in my hand, so I was need to stop, no? So that's good.
I begin now another time. And now is the first tournament. Is going to be difficult because when you are one month without the competition, it's tough get the rhythm.
But I'm going to try my best. It's important tournament for me. I am very happy be here. I am going to compete all the time, so that's important for me, no?

Q. Can you talk about the rivalry with Roger, why it's so popular with people, why it's caught on as much as it has?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I answer this question a lot of time, so...
Maybe is good for the tennis because the public, we play five finals this year, so that's good for the public, sure, because the public watch the matches. He can say this time win here clay, grass, hard. That's nice.
And for me is very good. I am the No. 2. I am playing unbelievable year for me. Roger is one of the best of the history for sure, no? I not trying to compete against him, no. I am trying myself, trying playing good, improve my game. So that's very important for me. I'm maybe five years younger than him, so I need improve my game. So that's very important for me, no?
I am young, and I need continuing not thinking about the No. 1, not thinking about compete Federer, Federer. I'm not thinking about that, never. I'm just thinking about my game, about I need improve the serve, I need improve little bit playing more aggressive sometimes. I am thinking about that, no? Is good, a lot of matches against the No. 1 and the No. 2.

Q. Your thoughts on the level of interest in men's pro tennis compared to Europe and other countries, and the fact that Roger and yourself both being European has negatively impacted that growth?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't have opinion about that, no, because I don't know exactly how is the tennis in the United States, in North America. I don't know exactly how is the popular of the tennis now here in Canada, North America.
In Europe now, maybe in Spain - I know Spain - Spain is improving. We have a lot of players. But the popular of tennis is improve, so that's good, no, for the tennis, for the sport?
So maybe North America always is a popular sport, but I don't know exactly how is in this moment, no?

Q. Tremendous amount of success on clay and other surfaces. How important is it for you to show that you can dominate on something like outdoor hard court?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe if I am playing good on hard, I play very complete year, no, because if you are playing good on clay, good on grass, good on hard, you are playing a very good year, so I going to try that.
I was playing good on hard this year I was winning in Dubai, semifinals in Indian Wells, third round in Miami, no? Is a good tournaments, no? That's good.
So we will see the next month, the next three tournaments here. We will see.

Q. What do you think about Spain losing in the tournament of soccer?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it was a disappointing moment for everybody, no? We had -- we was playing very good the first three matches, qualifying round, and after we lost against France, no? We always have a bad luck.

Q. You think they'll come back next time?
RAFAEL NADAL: We going to see in 2010. We have the European Cup now in two years. We going to see.

Q. You are very happy you broke Vilas' records?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, was a good moment for me. I was winning every tournament on clay. That's very nice moment. Sure is important for me have this record, no? But the most important thing for me is not the record, is continue playing at a high level, at the best level after my injury. I come back and win the same like last year, maybe I improve a little bit.

Q. Muchas gracias.
RAFAEL NADAL: You're welcome.

Q. What is the most difficult aspect of keeping that record going and your standard? Is it concentration? Is it the physical considerations? Is it technique?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe the positive mentality, that's all. I think always I believe that's the most important thing - not just in tennis, no, but in everything on life, so...

Q. Can you talk about your confidence coming in as the defending champion at this event?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's not exactly the same tournament, is Montréal and Toronto. So the court is a little bit different. Is similar, but Montréal was a little bit faster. Toronto, I lost here in first round two years ago. I hope this year not the same, no? I want to play good. I want to find my level, my best level here, that's important.
And the first match is going to be tough after one month out of competition. The first match is always very difficult. And I play against a good player, no, Massu. Is going to be important, the first match. We will see.

Q. Which match has been your most challenging this year?
RAFAEL NADAL: What do you want to listen? The one of I win or the one of I lose? Because if you say one of I lose, maybe against Blake in Indian Wells. He play very good, no? He was playing very good. If I win the one match, when I win against Federer in Rome, no?

Q. You're a very popular player, bring style to men's pro tennis. Could you talk about how important style and glamour is? Your record speaks for itself, but speak about the importance of style and glamour in this age of pro sports.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I can't. I don't have opinion of that. You can opine, everybody can opine, but not me. And I'm a little bit shy. Prefer don't speak a lot about me, no?

Q. You've talked about focusing on getting better. Do you have in the back of your mind any long-term goals, maybe being one of the best of all times, better than Federer? How do you approach your long-term goals in the sport?
RAFAEL NADAL: I say the same. I am not thinking about Federer, no? Federer is one of the best of the history. Do one of the best of the histories, I don't have -- is very, very difficult, no?
I thinking about every day practicing at hundred percent, every day know exactly what can I do for improve. I want to continuing like this. If I continuing like this with positive mentality, improving my game, maybe in the next three years I going to improve more, no? So we will see. You never know.
Maybe sometimes I am playing good and in the next year I going to play bad. You never know. But is not my expect, no? I want continue improve, and that's my goal.
And 'improve' is not improve on the results, is improve on the game. Sometimes you improve, and the results... Is very difficult improve the results. For my serve, the most important thing is be happy with me and improve my game.

Q. What part of your game do you think needs the most improvement?
RAFAEL NADAL: You can improve all. Especially I can improve a little bit more my serve, my volley, my winner. That's the most important point, no?

Q. The media likes to give nicknames to players. If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would you call yourself?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know.

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