Rafael Nadal: “I lost an opportunity to have a very good event here. I am sad for that”

Rafael Nadal, of Spain, rubs his eyes during play against Lucas Pouille, of France, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In this incredibly long, tough match, what do you think the difference was?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I think he played a good match. He started so strong. I fight until the end with. There were things I could do better. Had the right attitude. I fighted right up to the last ball.

But I need something else, I need something more that was not there today. I going to keep working to try to find.

But, yes, was a very, very close match that anything could happen. Just congratulate the opponent that probably he played with better decision than me the last couple of points.

Q. You were a break up in the last set. You have so much experience…
RAFAEL NADAL: Experience, when you are 4-3 in the fifth, 30-Love, is not a question of experience, no? Is a question of play a little bit better than what I did. That’s it. A couple of mistakes there. Needed to play with a little bit more calm.

Is true that I don’t have lot of matches on my shoulders for the last three, four months, but even like this I lost an opportunity. That’s the real thing, no? That’s the true. I lost an opportunity to have a very good event here. I am sad for that.

But I fighted. I can play better. I can play worst. The only thing that cannot be bad is the attitude, no? Today the attitude was great. That’s it. 

When somebody does as much as you can, then you need to find another things. I need to keep improving the level of tennis to be back where I was before the injury.

But in terms of energy, in terms of motivation, I was great. In terms of tennis, I need more. I needed to serve better in some moments. I needed to create more pain on the opponent with my shots, no? That was something that I didn’t make it today.

He played well. That’s it. You know, I didn’t play bad, but I didn’t play enough well. He played well. That’s it.

Q. You say you need to keep improving to get to back to where your game was. Where do you see your situation now? How would you assess where you are relative to the Rafa that you want to be?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. Every day is a different story. I was happy the way that I was playing, practicing the last couple of days. Then a lose cannot change the overall situation, no?

I am not a person that when I am winning I’m like this, when I am losing I am like this. (Indicating up and down). My life is stable. Just accept that these kind of things happen and keep working, no? That’s the only thing.

I have the motivation to keep working. Took a long time, a lot of hours, a lot of spirit of sacrifice to be back where I was before the injury this year. Was tough. And now I need to come back there.

I don’t start from zero. That’s a positive thing. I am closer than last year to be where I want to be. I have a few months to finish the season, to try to be qualified for the World Tour Finals. That will be a good effort if I make that happen after two months and a half without competition. I going to fight for it. That’s all.

Q. Sometimes when you don’t have the results you would like to have it’s been physical problems; sometimes maybe more mental when you don’t have enough confidence on yourself because of some losses and so on. What do you think is right now more the moment? There were problems in the last few years.
RAFAEL NADAL: In the last few years? In the last few years — I played I think the quarterfinals last year in Australia; I played the quarterfinals in Roland Garros that I lost against Djokovic; I played a bad Wimbledon. I lost here a match with break up in the third and fourth and the fifth in the Grand Slam.

This year I played bad match in Australia, and I didn’t lose in Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Today I lost with a chance to be in the quarterfinals having a lot of chances.

You can see it or you can write the way that you want. I know what’s going on. I know what I have to do. When you are able to play semifinals of Masters 1000s, winning tournaments like Barcelona, playing good tournaments in the other events, is not a question of level to be in the final rounds of the Grand Slams, no?

Is just a couple of things that for some reasons didn’t happen, and you need to be ready to have the auto-critic. You need to be auto-critic. Is something that I believe really going to change.

Q. Mental or physical?
RAFAEL NADAL: Mental or physical doesn’t matter. I am out of the tournament. Physical, for sure no. I fight till the end. Of course was not a physical thing. Was not a mental thing. Was a terms of sport, and in sport you lose or you win. The opponent want to win the same like you.

When the opponent beat you, is not the time to find excuses is mental or physical. Doesn’t matter. The opponent was a little better than you. That’s it. You have to congratulate the opponent, go to the next tournament, the next practice, and try to be ready.

Q. You have had great results in the Olympics, Monte-Carlo, other tournaments. Do you feel it’s the pressure of Grand Slams, best-of-five, something that makes these tournaments tougher for you in the last couple years?
RAFAEL NADAL: After winning 14 and being in semifinals a lot of times, you feel that’s pressure?

Q. I’m asking you.
RAFAEL NADAL: I answered you. In 30 years old, after having the career that I have, is not a question of pressure.

Q. The ball at 6-All, that forehand in the tiebreak.
RAFAEL NADAL: Was a big mistake, yeah. But you are 6-All in the tiebreak. I played the right point. I put me in a position to have the winner and I had the mistake. That’s it.

You cannot go crazy thinking about these kind of things, no? You have a mistake. The opponent played a good point in the match point, and that’s it.

The problem is arrive to 6-All on the tiebreak of the fifth. I should be winning before. When you have 4-3, 30-Love, when you are there, is 50%. This time again is not on my side.

Q. What are your thoughts on Pouille’s game and his future?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I said the other day, no, he’s young. He’s a player that has all the shots. He’s a potential top 10 and good fight for the big things the next couple of years. If he’s able to keep playing well, keep improving.

Always is the same. In the careers of everybody is the same: you need to keep improving all the time. If you are able to make that happen, then you’re going to have success.

Q. You played against so many great players. What level do you think he is at right now for his age?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. I cannot predict the future today. He is 19 on the race of the year. That’s a great number. He’s in quarterfinals here. So probably he will be higher after here.

How old is he? 22?

Q. Yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: He’s in a good position. As I say, he’s in a good position to give him chances to be in the top 10 position fighting for bigger things. But everybody wants to do it. Not only Lucas going to have the motivation to do it. There is a lot of young players that want to do it, too.

I want to do it too, again. I believe that Roger will want to do it again. And Novak and Andy is still there. Nishikori. A lot of great players are still there, no?

Is a question of improving. For me the same. For everybody is the same, no? If you are able to keep improving, playing well the whole season with no injuries, you know, then you have a better chances.

Q. Are you at all surprised that he didn’t get tight in those last few points in the tiebreaker?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no. He is a great player. Why you have to get tight? He’s 22. He has enough experience. He played for the last couple of years on the tour.

Q. This was a big moment.
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not to win Grand Slam. Is fourth round. If he wants to become a champion he cannot be tight in that moment. Especially when you are 22, when you are playing against a player that in theory you have nothing to lose, you have everything to win.

Is not a moment to be tight. Is a moment to play aggressive. I think he did, and he did very well.

Q. You just lost the match, but still is there a part of you that has pride and satisfaction that you were part of such a great event?
RAFAEL NADAL: Now I am not very satisfied, the real thing. (Smiling.) Losing in the fourth round after having a big chance to play a great event here, feeling myself ready for it, for sure I am not very satisfied, no? I am sad.

But that’s it. I give my best. I try my best. I fight until the last ball. I played with the right energy, and that’s it, no?

As I said before, when you give your best you can’t ask yourself more in terms of attitude, no? I need to improve in other things, but I going to do it.

Q. You played the Olympics with a bad wrist; had a troubled summer. You’ve come here and had some good games, but now unfortunately the tournament is over. Are you going to use this time to recover 100% the wrist, or are you going to be focusing more on your tennis because you believe that your wrist is okay?
RAFAEL NADAL: My wrist is improving a lot. I say that looks like the injury is at the end of the process. I am ready to keep playing. That’s what my body is asking me now.

Q. All losses are painful. This one, is it a bit less painful because of what you had to go through in the summer? It’s not excuses.
RAFAEL NADAL: Doesn’t matter if you go through injuries; doesn’t matter if you arrived with less preparation. At the end of the day, nobody remember that. You know, you lost in the fourth round and that’s it.

Q. But you do remember.
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, I don’t care. I lost an opportunity to play a great event. Doesn’t matter if I had the injuries or not, no? I didn’t play in Roland Garros; I didn’t play in Wimbledon. That’s an opportunities lost. Here again, another opportunity lost.

At the end of the day is not a moment, as I said before, to find excuses or to be less painful. Is a painful defeat because I believe myself, I feel myself ready for that match, ready for the tournament. That’s it.

We can find stories, but I lost. That’s the only thing that really matter now. I going to fight to change that. But is not less painful or more painful. Is a defeat. Is not the first one in my career; is not going to be for sure the last.

When you play sport, you accept that when you go on court you can lose, you can win. That’s part of the life. I’m happy to be playing again. That’s the most important thing. I’m happy that I feel myself again close to be hundred percent healthy.

If I am hundred percent healthy, I have the energy to keep going. I believe that I can have a couple of more good years.

Q. You said you feel better this year compared to last year. What is the biggest difference between last year and this year?
RAFAEL NADAL: This year I didn’t have no one mental problem. I was able to enjoy every practice. I was able to enjoy every match. Last year not. Last year for seven, eight months happened something strange in my mind. I was playing with stress. I was anxious. I didn’t enjoy.

When you are not enjoying doing what you do, then you have a problem. The problems in my mental part didn’t allow me to enjoy, and this year I’m enjoying. I’m enjoying every moment. The only thing that was a negative thing is I couldn’t compete in a moment that I was playing great.

128 comments

  1. stan played 70 – 80 % in both french and US open as compared when he played AO final against rafa

    and still convincingly won against the player who is very much in his form of the life

    next grandslam for stan to win is wimbeldon and i think he will win it but repeating the winning of same slam next time it will be hard for stan

    i think players after novak loss to sam querry started to believe they can beat novak as they started thinking and doing against rafa

    next year will be interesting as delpo, stan is in the form and rafa will be there too for challenging them

    stan is the player who nobody want to play in final

    vamos rafa

  2. WELCOME TO INDIA, RAFA DEAR AND THE ENTIRE SPANISH TEAM.

    LOVE TO HAVE YOU IN MY COUNTRY, IF I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY I WOULD BRING YOU HOME, TO SHARE A WARM MEAL WITH MY FAMILY.

    YOU ARE MY HERO. LOVE YOU RAFA ALWAYS. ❤💙💚💜💓💔💕💖💘💝💞💟

  3. What a great tournament we have been privileged to see , with some outstanding tennis from both the men and women😂. What can I say thank God for Stan the man , the one player I think Novak dreads having to play in any final . Some players peak early like Rafa at 18 and others like Stan are late bloomers, and at 31 the oldest man to win the US Open ( so the commentator’s say) . Another cup to have embroidered on to your bag Stan .Congrats to Stan you are certainly becoming the thorn in Novak’s side . ( Novak maybe you should find yourself another coach , ha ha). Thank you New York for a brilliant 2 weeks and for some beautiful sunsets🗽🗽🗽🗽

  4. Stan steps up to the plate as he has done before when it really counts. I didn’t watch the match could bear it. Dreamt Stan had won. Woke up disappointed that it was a dream. Turned on my tablet before work and saw the above comments. I always did like you Stan now I love you!😀.

  5. Well after the 1st walk over and then the 1st retirement, novak said it was what he wished for. With little tennis at wimbledon and rio and then skipping everything upto us open – not enough match practice. And i would say be careful what you wish for novak. Great result!

  6. Thank god for stan – thrashed novak and stopped him getting his 13th major. That would have been too close to rafa’s 14 for comfort. Congrats stanimal!

    • What a relief! 😅 … & best of all is: Nole has no chance now to overtop Rafa’s 14 GS at the French Open now, at least. It was a good final, partly outstanding play by Stan.👏🏼

    • I was worried about that too! Stan the man has got Novak’s number! I just assumed Novak would win…he hardly played any tennis with all the walkovers!

  7. Rafa … Spectacular, exciting, entertaining match …, sorry that you lost ( actually heartbroken) but it was only by 2 points! The whole Arthur Ashe Stadium was a buzz with excitement. Just look what happened with Novak…3 walkovers And thousands and thousands of disappointed fans who felt cheated. Also the SF with Gael…what is going on here? Tennis needs you Rafa, you have this aura about you that I can’t explain and people will buy tickets just to see you ! Your fans will never give up on you…Plus you have an extraordinary place in tennis history! All that you have accomplished and not one smashed racket! Like Johnny Mac has said every young tennis player should follow your example!

  8. Thanks for the hint! I will try to look for the full press conference video. Only saw the first part which was on the official USO- webpage. Unfortunately I have not seen the documentary yet and also absolutely need to look for the full version!

    I did not specifically meant this press conference with answering “stupid questions” since some of the journalists at least showed interest and some deeper knowledge about Rafas mental issues, even if they were pushing like hell and made me feel bad for him being asked all this questions at this specific moment of defeat. (And… is it really good for Rafa if the general public knows too much about this? I’m not so sure).

    But I also do remember people on twitter writing that the press conference had even made the impression of being “therapeutic” for him as he turned from being dumpish to “enraged” (?). It is true that some of them asked questions I also am interested to know about, but I would be far to shy to ask.

    Btw.: I really hope you can see him play in London, Teresa! He must make it there! I do have the same issue of hopes and worry since I’m working for the Basel tournament. I’m so excited if he will be there or not that my heartbeat goes up when I think about.😩

    • Should be the answer to Teresas post (Sept 10, 12:24 AM). Can’t correctly deal with this😬. Would be wonderful to have a regular “forum” on the RNF site, once✊🏼🤗.

      • Oh wow! that was really enriching to see the full press conference and also the spanish part of which I only understood some parts. I think, finally this can be looked as very good sign. He did not look that kind of depressed and sad which sometimes after defeats make me feel so worried. His expressions and words turned to be neither defensively nor enraged, but even more humble and candid, speking from the bottom of his heart. Expression and words kind of more “buit an unit” as they sometimes do when he’s asked questions after defeats or in bad moments, and there was a lot of confidence and acceptance speaking out of him. This really lifts me up. I also have to change my mind about the questions they asked. Most of them were not too bad!

    • Working for the Basal tournament! I am so jealous!!! If you want to tell me more, please do! I will try to post links to the conference but will have to get to my laptop.

    • Whoops – I hope I don’t get in trouble with RNF for posting links like this. Only meant to get the address up!

      • I would love to. But can you contact me on Twitter with a message? My name there is same like here… Thanks so much for the video links!!!!

      • Thank you very much for linking Teresa 😃👍 Love it 😍 Do you know if the “Informe Robinson” comes with english subtiles?
        Thx again 😊 From a forever Rafan in DK ☀️❤️🎾💪

      • Hi Rafantastic, many people have asked for sub titles to the documentary but there isn’t anything comprehensive. I believe there is a facility on youtube (maybe android devices only) that gives very rough subtitles but that is it. There is a transcript attached to one of the comments which is very good and done by someone on another fan website. You will need to access the documentary via youtube to get to the comments though but this should be easy enough. I highly recommend the reading!

  9. I see Novak is back to his old self , wish you were there Rafa but sadly your not so COME ON Monfils

  10. Should we really care about couples getting married or not in 2016? Come on! In my opinion, lucky Rafa has the most beautiful, friendly looking and intelligent girlfriend of all tennis players and they always seem so much in love that it almost makes me cry those kind of “romantic movie- tears”… Cuteness overload, but I think we should at least let this part of his life be his privacy.

    I followed the rest of the discussion all eyes and could not agree more (once again) with you, Teresa. But this time, I definitely refuse to worry too much about that “out – of the blue” -loss and also I don’t believe that it might have been a backstep to his problems he had in 2015. Pouille played a terriffic match. Rafa came back from an injury, maybe still was exhausted from Rio and seemed not 100% healthy at the beginning of the US Open with that cold.

    This does not mean that I think all what happened in 2015 is over, all of a sudden, but it was not the reason why he lost against Pouille, in my eyes. One very important key was his service (perish the thought that serving still makes him problems because of his wrist).

    Also I defenitely agree with Beverley about oncle Toni and the “other coach” issue (even if I have mixed feelings for Toni and his authoritarian ways) as well as about not letting wins or losses be the only criteria to enjoy this man’s tremendous efforts!
    I cannot immagine a bigger thrill as to watch Rafa play tennis or even listen to him answering stupid questions and do everything in my power to watch every single match at any time of day. The inspiration this man gives us by playing tennis goes far beyond entertainment and I really wish nothing more as that there will be four or more years with him on the ATP-tour.

    • I hope you’re right and if Rafa says these mental issues are gone I’m happy (although, as you say, anxiety attacks don’t just disappear). His yo yo playing was referred to at the Olympics by one of the commentators (who said it was the same as in 2015). They are observant experts so that has got me worrying again. I’ve always said Uncle Toni is like a proud father when Rafa wins and is one of the best coaches in the world. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t want some release from Rafa and not the other way around. But I think a fresh perspective wouldn’t hurt in addition to his current team (his team actually say the same thing!) I think it was Carlos Costa who said that after hearing the same voice after many years – maybe it ceases to have any impact.

      The full interview above is now on youtube and I have a completely different perspective on it now. One of the reporters (on twitter) said that the presser was purgative for Rafa – he changed from the beginning to the end of the interview. They ask him simple questions and he ‘talks the hind legs of a donkey’ (talking any time, any place, anywhere, is a strong cultural Spanish trait – they can also appear argumentative). It’s lovely to see that he is familiar enough with them to do this. One of his wonderful characteristics is his respect for the reporters and that he appreciates they are only doing their jobs and he voices this all the time. I recognise one of the reporters (the mixed race, plump lady with glasses) as appearing on his documentary with him last year (talking about his anxiety issues). She writes for one of the big French newspapers and I get the impression she is firmly in his court. So they are not all bad!

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