US OPEN

August 30, 2006

Rafael Nadal

An interview with: RAFAEL NADAL

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
RAFAEL NADAL: Hello. Sorry to have little bit problem in the stomach.

Q. You're not feeling well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Little bit... no, no. No, when I finish the match, I go to the locker and... no, no, no, not toilet, locker. I don't know what's happening.

Q. No fever?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no. After 30 minutes, gonna stop. But sometimes I have that.

Q. Yesterday having to wait with the weather, did it feel good to finally get back out on the court and play after yesterday all day long waiting, waiting, waiting?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I feel good. I am happy for the with my match today. I play my best match for sure in the last three weeks. I play better today than Toronto, Cincinnati. That's sure.
I play very, very good match. I am very happy.

Q. Translating your game from clay to hard court, do you feel like you have to get even more aggressive than you have been in the tournaments leading up to the US Open?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I need play a little bit more aggressive. That's true, no?
So I was playing like this in Wimbledon. I was playing good tournaments in this surface. I need get a little bit confidence and play a little bit more aggressive, so that's it, no? I feel good today. I play very aggressive today, more than the last weeks. So very good.

Q. If you could go back to play against Juan Carlos again, would you be risky would you play a riskier type of game?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, no. That's stupid to think about that, no? Because I feel the ball much better today than Cincinnati, no? That's the thing, no?
If I was the same, if I gonna play the same match in Cincinnati with my feelings in Cincinnati, maybe I was playing the game, I gonna play the same, no?
Here, maybe I gonna play different. That's sure.

Q. Were you a bit surprised at how much trouble he gave you, especially when he got his first serve in? Were you surprised how well Philippoussis served today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, yes. Philippoussis is a very big server, no? He serve unbelievable, especially the first serve. Sometimes three aces in one game, two aces. But I was beginning very, very good, no? I play unbelievable first game. That's important for the rest, for the confidence. I have one set.
And after, I play two points, I make two mistakes from Mark at 4 4 in the second. But, sure Mark was playing good. He was a very good forehand, too. I play very good match. If I was playing a bad match, I was losing, no, I think.

Q. When Mark first came on the tour, he was considered a very, very promising young player. He's had a lot of difficulties over the years. Do these things cross your mind when you're playing a guy? Do they affect your confidence level, the way you perceive him?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't understand.

Q. We'll move on. It's complicated.
BENITO PEREZ BARBADILLO: (Translating).
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't know. This is the first round of the US Open, so that's very important for me, no? I was thinking just about me, not the rival. So that's it, no?
Sure, to play against big servers is always tough, but I was practicing very well the last days, very touching the ball very, very good. I arrive to the match with a very good confidence, no?

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your opinions on Etienne's proposals for the changes in the game. It sounds like you're in favor of it. I wondered if you broke it down a little bit, whether you were worried about playing too many matches in a given week. If it's a Round Robin format, you may have to play
RAFAEL NADAL: The Round Robin, maybe is the best change.

Q. The best change?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, yes. And for everybody maybe.

Q. Not worried about playing too much tennis in a given week.
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, now we have some problems always with the pull out of the tournaments. I want to say I'm sorry for every tournament director of the year I pull out, but sometimes is not my fault, too, no? I can't. Because I would love play every week and play every tournament, no?
With the Round Robin, you know, I gonna play three matches for sure. So you can your schedule, you can prepare your schedule better, no? But if you go to the tournament and you never know you gonna play one match, two matches, three matches, four, five. You can't say, I gonna play this tournament, this tournament, and this tournament.
But if you know approximately you gonna play three matches for sure, that's very good, no? And is good for the sponsors, for the television, for everybody, for the tournaments, too. Because the tournaments wants, for example, Federer but that's not the case because he always wins (laughing).
No, but I don't know, any very good player. If he arrive to the tournament and lose in first round, had a bad day, is very, very bad for the tournament, no? So is very, very important for more chance.

Q. You say three matches guaranteed, and that would work if there were a 32 draw with eight groups of four players each. But at the end, they were talking about a 48 draw with 16 groups of only three players. So you only play two matches, and it would be much more difficult if a top player lost to move on to the knockout phase.
RAFAEL NADAL: First of all, I don't understand exactly. Second, if you play two matches and you are best player, you have more chances than if you just play one. That's true or not; what do you think?
Because if you are the best, the best of all the players, normally you don't gonna lose 6 1, 6 1. You gonna lose 7 5, 6 3 or 6 3 in the third. And if you win the match, so with draw and part of draw, no? With the tie, you have more chances for go to the second round or quarterfinals.

Q. True. But if you lose your first match and win your second and you win one, lose one, everyone has to be 1 1 for you to get out. Does that make sense?
RAFAEL NADAL: You have better result, you go. You don't like?

Q. I like it, but not for 48.
RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer, too, the four players in a group. I prefer that, too. But you the first thing is maybe we can excuse a lot in English.

Q. How do you feel this time in New York compared to your other times here?
RAFAEL NADAL: So I was beginning better than the other years, that's for sure. I was beginning great. I am very happy, no? I was playing bad the last two tournaments, especially Toronto. Cincinnati, I improve a little bit, but not much.
I was practicing very, very good all the day the last week. I am happy for that. I say before the tournament I just want to play good this tournament, no? I don't know if the result is second round, third round, fourth round quarterfinal, final, but I want to play good so I have chance.

Q. Are you more comfortable in New York now?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I like a lot this place. I like this tournament. I like this city, and I want to play good here. That's one of my special goals of the year.

Q. You're almost hyperactive as a person. Isn't it difficult for you in New York to be in an apartment or hotel and closed in the way you are in New York City? How do you express your everyday energy?
RAFAEL NADAL: With the rain or what?

Q. In general.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, because I was practicing a lot this week. After, if I finish soon the practice I never finish soon but if I have time, I go out. I go to walk a little bit for the city.

Q. Much has changed in the four years that you've been here. It wasn't long ago that not many American tennis fans knew you or knew your game. Now any fan of tennis, of course, knows what your capabilities are. Do you feel it when you're out here? Talk about how different it is to come into the US Open second seed, No. 2 in the world, and the reception and energy you get from the crowds here.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I want to say thank very much everybody. I was here for one week. I enjoy a lot here. I saw the people knows me more this year than the last year, so is surprise for me, no? Because last year I was the No. 2, too, when I am here. But this year, the people knows me more, support me a lot, and that's very good, no?

Q. I read a story that you had been at the World Trade Center before 9/11 and that you have visited since the Ground Zero. Can you talk about that experience, and do you plan to go this time?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I was two days ago, yeah.

Q. Two days ago. Can you talk about what you feel when you go there and your experience.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I feel little bit change, no?
BENITO PEREZ BARBADILLO: They built the station.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, down is the station? Yeah, so the place is the same, no. I saw the photos. That's unbelievable photos there.
(Speaking in Spanish).
BENITO PEREZ BARBADILLO: The big hole is still there.
RAFAEL NADAL: (Speaking in Spanish). Strange sensation, no?

Q. Why do you go? What makes you go visit?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I always have a big remember when I was in the last floor of the tower. I was sit like this. You remember the benches in front of window. I was sitting like that. For half an hour. I remember exactly.
So when I saw that on TV I finish a match in Madrid. I remember exactly the day because I lost 12 matchpoints for my first point ATP. So I arrive to the locker room and I saw that on TV. It was a very shock for me, no? I was there just three or I don't exactly remember, three or five months before, no? I come back every year, and I always go there, no?

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