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BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

November 25, 2009

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

N. DAVYDENKO/R. Nadal
6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Rafa, a few days ago you were fighting to become No. 1 in the world. Now you're No. 2 and you're out of the Masters. How does it feel? How difficult is it to accept this difficult situation?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I didn't came here to be No. 1, no? I said before the tournament that's not my goal because I think I not playing well enough to be No. 1 right now.
So the first thing is you have to know how you are playing right now and which chances you have in the moment, no? And my chances before coming here was not be No. 1, so the first thing is not difficult accept.
And be out of the Masters, yeah, well, that's sport and everything can happen. I didn't arrive to this tournament with this full confidence that you need to win these matches. And in the moments that I had to play well, I didn't play well, no? I had mistakes.
I fight a lot. Both matches I fighted. I tried my best all the time, but it wasn't enough to win these matches. That's it, no? I still working.
You know, today I think mentally I was better. I played a terrible game at 5-All in the second set. But the rest, I tried to do different things during all the match, trying to play more aggressive with the forehand. That's important thing that I am improved a little bit today. So just trying every day. Every day trying a little bit more.

Q. You mentioned the problem for you is confidence at the moment. In your experience, how do you regain your confidence?
RAFAEL NADAL: That's not a very big problem, no? I think without playing very good tennis in all the matches, I had my chances against the best players of the world. So I am not worried about that, no?
I think the season is done, and I am playing difficult surfaces for me. When the season going to start next year, probably I going to play a little bit more favorable surfaces for my game.
And practicing, practicing well, practicing with positive fact that I'm practicing and working a lot, that's the way for me, the only way to improve the situation. That's what I did all my life: work.

Q. Novak earlier today said he didn't enjoy playing today at all. Did you enjoy any part of tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, the beginning of the match was hard for me, no? But later I fight, no? I came back for two times in the second set fighting. I played a terrible game on the 5-All. But in the 6-5, I played a very good game. So that's positive, because you are there. You had a very difficult moment in the 5-All, but after that, you can forget about that game and play another game full, no? So that's important, no? That's the important thing.
That says I am ready to compete, no? That's the positive things, the best things, as I say before. But that's sport, and anything can happen on the sport. You have some better moments, bad moments. Right now when you have bad moments, you have to work to improve.

Q. You'll go from here to the Davis Cup. I think you start training almost immediately for next year. How do you think you're going to feel by next summer? You won't have had a break for many months, will you? You will start training for 2010 immediately after the Davis Cup.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I understand.

Q. And you won't have had any sort of break, will you? How do you feel about that? How will you feel next summer?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I had enough breaks this year. Too much, in my opinion (smiling).
I am ready. I am ready to practice hard. I have motivation to play another time my best tennis. And, you know, right now my motivation is another time I feel I am playing my best. When you have this goal and you have this motivation, doesn't matter if you are tired or not. So I am ready to start practicing and to start playing in 2010, no?
I gonna have few break after Rotterdam. So that's it, no? Later, after Wimbledon, I hope.

Q. How far away do you think you are from your best, in your own opinion?
RAFAEL NADAL: 10 meters (laughter).
No, I don't know.

Q. Do things feel very different at the moment? Obviously, the serve is 110, 111, not 120. Things just seem off.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no, the serve is no problem. No, the problem for my game for sure will not be the serve right now. But, yes, no, I feel a little bit more tired on court than before probably because I didn't have this continuation in this second half or part of the year. When I play a few tough points, I feel more tired to play the next ones. That's very important in this sport, no?
I don't know how far I am from my best. I think the tennis and the sport change like this (snapping fingers). The important thing is, when this change can happen, be ready to do it.

Q. Davis Cup final is coming. You and Fernando are playing here at a high level. The Czech players are practicing. In your opinion, who feels better in this approach?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I don't know. Everybody gonna have his chances that day. They are good players to play on clay, too. So they gonna have more time to practice than us. But we gonna play at home with the crowd in our favorite surface. So we will see.
On Saturday I gonna be ready to practice hard another time on clay. I gonna try my best to be as good as possible on Friday.

Q. When you get back on the practice court, is there anything in particular that you're looking to practice on ahead of next season?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, I have to play another time with this intensity, with this full rhythm with my forehand, one time, another time, another time, playing without mistakes, playing this intensity that the other ones can't attack you, so you can have the control of the point, but without a lot of risk.
That's the goal right now, no? Have this rhythm, this intensity with the forehand and backhand. And, sure, can play 10, 12, 20 shots with the confidence, without think if you gonna have mistake or not, no? So that's the goal right now.
Sure, still improving the serve. But that's my game. That's what I said before. The serve is the thing I have to still improving always, no? But that's not gonna be a big change on my serve. But I have to still working hard on my serve, my first serve, my second serve, to serve a little bit faster with a little bit more high percentage. So that's the things, no?

Q. You lost all the sets that you played against the top eight players since Madrid this year.
THE MODERATOR: He beat Tsonga.

Q. Do you think you're giving players confidence that the next time they can play against you, they won't fight the fight they were used to have?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, anyway, if I lost my sets against the top eight players, that's the thing, I lost. What's happen? Nothing. So just still working hard to change the situation.
I think I don't have to show to no one I can win the sets against the top eight players of the world. I think that's not the problem right now, no? When I will be ready to win one set to the one top 10, I gonna be ready to win important tournaments. So that's not the thing.

Q. How would you describe your last six months?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, lot of difficult situations. Good situations, too. When I came back, I was playing okay, in Cincinnati playing well. But I had the break. I broke the abdominal. Yeah, is difficult to play well with these problems, no?
After Roland Garros and before Roland Garros I had the problems in the knee, so I had two months outside. When you come back, you need time to have the confidence on your movements, on your game another time. After that, I had the abdominal break. So another time one more month. So after that I came back, I played a good Asian tour. I played good tournaments in all the places, but not perfect.

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