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SHANGHAI ATP MASTERS 1000

October 12, 2009

Rafael Nadal

SHANGHAI, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've had a little bit more time to think about it. Can you go back to the semifinal in Beijing? Have you got any more explanation for it than you had that evening?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I told you there, I think. No, I told you. I spoke about what happened there. He play much better than me. I was playing at a good level before this match. I was very happy how I arrive to this match playing, especially in quarterfinals and second round against Blake, too.
I arrive there, and I play really bad, no? The first set I think he started playing unbelievable, and later -- I say, I told you then maybe I didn't, in the second set when I had small chances, I didn't come back, I didn't be fresh, I didn't was fresh in that moment. He was playing much better than me that day.

Q. Considering your injury and everything, you still have possibility that you could end the year No. 1 if things go very well. If you had a choice, what would it be, to become No. 1 again by the end of the year or to win Davis Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: A difficult question to answer, no? Because if we are talking about myself, well, to finish the year No. 1, I win here, win Paris, and win almost the Masters Cup, so these three wins -- well, it's impossible to think about that. That's the first thing.
I think is easier to think about winning Davis Cup final, so anything will be unbelievable for me, but sure, I am more ready to play the Davis Cup final than the other things.

Q. I mean, for a lot of people, Andy Roddick was talking about how tired everyone is feeling at this stage of the calendar. You perhaps are a little bit fresher than some mentally. Is that true? Would that be correct?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. I'm mentally sure. I am happy to be here playing, because you know I had the probably -- yeah, I had one of the more difficult years in my career for everything, and I happy to come back.
Sure, I am fresh, but at the same time, you know, I need to feel playing without problems for a few weeks, to feel time go on court without a scare about injuries, going on court only thinking about your game, only think about win.
So it's difficult when you have few injuries, and yeah, I came back here, and the true, when you on court and you have a lot of problems this year, seems like you are more focused on a lot of things than not totally on the match, no?
So I need to play a few weeks and practice a few weeks without problems, no? Because I started to practice only five days before Beijing, and I started to serve on Saturday in Beijing, so that's difficult, no, play the tournaments like this.
But anyway, I did semifinals. I am here. It's with one week on my shoulders to practice and to play, and I happy to play here. But you never know, because, you know, how difficult is to play when you don't have one week after one week on court, no? A lot of interruptions, and it's more difficult to get the confidence like this and to get the rhythm.
That's what happening right now, no? Because I had lot of stops. I played few matches well, and later I have a bad match, no? So when I am on rhythm and when I am normal conditions, I can lose, but I never played a very bad match, no? So I played all the time at similar level.

Q. We all saw what happened to you this year, and you won the Australian Open, but you didn't do well at the French Open and retired from the Wimbledon, but you were in the semifinal of the US Open. So which stage do you think you are at in your career now? ? Which stage?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't know. It's different year and different experience this year, no? So difficult to compare everything and to say how I am.
But remains few important tournaments and the Davis Cup final, but for me, is important to finish the season as -- well, without problems, healthy, and trying to play my better tennis than when I did. I try to finish as good as I can. If good as I can is quarterfinals and quarterfinals and semifinals and semifinals, and I would love to play in the final, no?
But you must understand this is tough, this season, when out of rhythm all the time and I had to stop a few times, so it's not easy be there. And important thing is try to be ready to start the next season with more energy and try to expect to play without the stops like I did the last few years.
So right now I am -- every tournament is very important for me, because after tough year, every one is very important, but sure I am more focused on Davis Cup final.

Q. Because you stopped and started and were injured, is the season too long, do you think?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. Well, this year wasn't -- is not my problem, but doesn't matter, yeah. Is impossible to play 1st of January and finish 5th of December. No one sport can do it, and you can play -- well, you play shorter career. Is impossible to be here playing like what I did last five years, playing a lot of matches and being all the time 100% without problems.
For last five years, if you see I am No. 1 or No. 2 on matches played on court, and I was okay, I have a few problems in this five years, but not a lot, but sooner or later, finally is impossible, I think.
No, I think everybody is working hard to try to change that. I know it's difficult because it's a lot of interests there, a lot of tournaments, important tournaments there, and it's difficult to say when you stop or when you start, no?
But I don't know the solution, but that's must -- my opinion, that's must be changed and soon.

Q. I was watching your practice last night. It was about a thousand people there on the court watching you.
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe less. Less than a thousand. (laughter.)

Q. No, I was counting. Sort of like you were a rock star. How do you feel when you have such support there for you just to practice?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, sure, is very nice, no? Here the fans are very emotional with me all the time. They show these emotions a lot. That makes me feel very well, no? So I -- you know, every time when I come here, I feel it really well, and it sure is very special for me, no?
A lot of people waiting at the hotel, here or Beijing. I had an amazing experience last year with the Olympics, and I had two years of experience, very good experience here playing the Masters Cup. So the people is very nice, and, well, yeah, very nice with me all the time, no? Just can say thank you very much, everybody here in China.

Q. (Through Chinese translation) Last year when you won the Wimbledon to become No. 1 player and you received a lot of praise from all medias and you were called almost a perfect player, and this year you didn't perform very well, and also, you suffered a lot of injuries, you received some criticism from the media. Were you happy about such criticism from the media?
RAFAEL NADAL: I never thought nothing about that. (laughter.)
Is normal, no? When you win, everything is positive, and when you have more problems, is more easy have negative things, no? Everybody is free to has his opinion, and the same way when you are winning, everybody saying more than not like you are, really. When you lose, happen the same. So never is that good and never that bad. That's true, no?
But I didn't agree with you. The media was always just respect, has good respect for me and has good respect for the media, and I don't see any problem with the media, no? I feel, you know, I feel very comfortable here.

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