	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2010

Rafael Nadal

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

R. NADAL/D. Istomin
6-2, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's early, but what would winning this tournament and also having the chance to win three straight Grand Slams mean to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Doesn't matter if is straight or not straight for me. Just if any day I have the chance to win here, it would be a dream, no?
But I told you now, I do not thought about win here now because this year I am five matches away, so is a lot. And if I come back another years, like I hope to come back a lot of more years, remain seven every time.
So is very far. For me, just be here and have a chance to win the fourth is just unbelievable thing. When I was younger, seven years before or six years before or three years before, I never really thought I really can do that.
So I am very happy what happen in my life, in my career, in all my career. So just enjoying that moment and trying to fight every ball because if there is any chance to win here, convert this chance.

Q. How much pressure is there, do you think, because this is the one you haven't won yet?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, I gonna say what I think seriously. I don't think about win this tournament now. So probably the pression is going to be there any day if I am in the final. But before that remains too much to have the pression to win.
I have the pression, like every Grand Slam. And, believe me, I have less pressure here than when I play in Roland Garros. So is completely different. And, you know, is like I need to play well a lot of matches.
So remain a lot. I am not thinking about the victory. Maybe in any moment I think about the win here and complete the four Grand Slams, maybe, yes, is pressure. But seriously, for me I think about point by point and winning next match.
So right now I am very happy to win today and think about Simon.

Q. How have you found the rhythm of your serve, because you're serving very well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, Toni arrives and everything under control.
No, seriously, I don't know. That's pretty strange, because I wasn't serve very well the previous days. I started to serve well one or two days before the competition. But the week of practice, I wasn't serve really well, no?
I changed a little bit the grip, like five or six days ago, because I felt when I played against the wind I didn't have free points. So I needed that, no? So I tried to play the serve a little bit more aggressive.
For the moment, it's working really well, so I going to try keep playing like this. And, sure, serve like this is a big confidence on my game.

Q. There was a lot of talk about a storm coming in and maybe you wouldn't get your match in tonight. Given your schedule, it's Friday, you're playing your second match, were you relieved to get the match in tonight so you can get your rest?
RAFAEL NADAL: If you play every day night, is no problem. The problem is if you play night, very late, after you play day. So is not a lot of rest, no?
But that's the US Open, and they do what they think is better I think for everybody. I accept the rules. If I have to play second round on Friday, I play second round on Friday. No discussion of that.

Q. How fast would you say the court is, and how does it affect the time you have on your returns?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is fast, the court. Is faster the center than the practice courts, for sure. And, yeah, is not like Cincinnati. Cincinnati's faster than this.
But is one of the fastest.

Q. How does it compare with Wimbledon, for example?
RAFAEL NADAL: Everybody talks about Wimbledon is very slow. Maybe because I won two times. (Smiling.)
When I started to play on Wimbledon in 2003 or 2002, I don't remember, 2003 - we are in 2010, so I played like eight Wimbledons. The speed of the court always was the same. That's my feeling.
So there's no discussion Wimbledon is much faster than here. Is another sport than here. But I like the faster courts.

Q. It was a very exciting point when he went up 5-1. The crowd got into and you applauded, and then he didn't win another point in that tiebreaker. You play with passion. But when someone shows that emotion, do you lift your emotion accordingly?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, he fighted a good point. He played a great point. I had to win that point three times before. But he did well. Finally he was fast going for the dropshot and he pass me, no?
Just was a tough point for me, because 4-2 or 5-1 going to the other place, to the other side, is easy for the wind, but is hard for me. But I think I stayed very well mentally in that moment. I was playing with big calm and big concentration.
And finally I was a little bit lucky, for sure. Is impossible to come back from 5-1. I had a little bit lucky. But the concentration, I had a good point. It was a very important moment of the match.

Q. You saw how hard it was for Roger to complete the career Grand Slam, how long it took him to win the French Open. What thoughts did that give you about your quest to win the career Grand Slam?
RAFAEL NADAL: You are focus on this.
Maybe for Roger was a big goal because he is the best of the history and he needed Roland Garros. He deserved Roland Garros because he did three finals, another semifinals.
Seriously, for me, complete the Grand Slam at this moment is not a goal. For me the goal is try to improve my level, to play well the next match, and we will see what happen next Sunday, no?
If I have the chance to be there, gonna be a chance for me to complete. But if not, remains a lot to be there. If not, I gonna come back home, try to keep improving to come back a lot of years here to try.
For me is not an obsession and is not a real goal.

Q. What do you think your chances are to be the best in history, the way you've described Roger?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me? I never thought about that. I think I am not ready to be the best of the history. I think is not the right moment to talk about that, seriously. Because I have 24 and a half, a little bit less - 24 and a few months years old - so talk about the history when one player is playing is difficult, no?
I am very happy, eight Grand Slams, Olympics, 18 Masters 1000. I am probably in one part of the history of tennis, no, so I am very happy with that. Now everything is to win.
I don't know if I gonna have the chance to keep winning Grand Slams. I gonna try for sure. But be the best of the history is almost impossible.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297