Australian Open 2022: Rafa Nadal: “With the scaphoid split in half it is difficult for the injury to be forgotten, there is no solution”

Rafael Nadal He was satisfied with his access to the third round of the Open de Australia, something he has achieved in 16 of his 17 appearances.

Match with Hanfmann

“We knew it was a match a peln trap, that there are days when you have to win and even more so in the situation we are in. All games are difficult. Hanfmann’s ranking said no, but the game says yes. In terms of difficulty, it was more complicated today than with Giron. They are uncomfortable duels that must be won. Of course I have to do things better if I want to aspire to do something here. I’m not going to go crazy with the demand either, I don’t trust that things will be perfect. What I want is to be competitive.

third round

“A very important rival is going to come to me if everything goes as it seems and I have to be prepared. What I celebrate is that I’m competing more or less well again. In the first two games I haven’t lost serve. In my opinion, the first set was very hard. You have to see the glass half full because there are many things that deserve to be seen that way. I know I’m not even close to my maximum, but on Friday I will be on the track and little by little I hope to move better and find my positions and my automatisms on the track. Understand when I have to hit some punches and when I have to hit others.

Tensile evolution

“The first day I arrived in Melbourne they trained fantastic. What I have improved is that I have played and I have won the five games. I have a title and that always gives you a little peace of mind. I’ve trained here for almost three weeks with top-level players from the circuit, and I’ve been able to do it. It’s the way to go“.

exchange of balls

“The ball dynamics since I arrived at the circuit until today it has changed completely. When I arrived at the circuit they were balls that took much more effects, more alive; now they are hollower and heavier and do not jump. That favors people who play flat. It misses the show because it makes us all play in a very similar way and I understand that tennis is more fun when there are different options”.

Death of Paco Gento

“Unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to see him play. I know that I met him in person sometime in Madrid. It’s a sad day because a Madrid legend is leaving and of our sport. They are characters that you never think will go away. The same thing happened to me with Manolo recently. I send a hug to his family and close people.”

Difference play day and night

“With these balls there is a lot of difference. These night balls take much less spin. If you give me a choice, I prefer to play during the day. At night those who hit the ball flat do not have any sense of error. The track drinks the effect you give it. People think that ground players are good at slow balls and it is totally the opposite. We are better off with a ball that flies in the air.”

foot condition

“With the scaphoid split in half it is difficult for the injury to be forgotten. This is a truth like a temple and it will not be forgotten for the rest of my life. The rest is deceiving you and deceiving me. I have a problem that has no solution belowor. Another thing is that it can let me compete with more or less guarantees and that is what we are trying to do. It’s too little baggage to have a clear conclusion, With what I have down there I don’t expect the conditions for the rest of my career to be perfect but I do know that I trust that he continuously allowed me to develop my professional activity. That is what I will sign to face the future with a bit of positivism. What I am not going to do is play without having options at all or for it to be extreme suffering. Suffering with options is always going to be worth the pain. If the suffering is without options to achieve the objectives, then it loses its meaning. I play because it makes me happy and because challenges motivate me. If there comes a time when the pain overcomes everything else, and takes away the illusion of achieving the goals, it is time to think about other things. Right now I am not in that line because I have returned with great enthusiasm after many months without being able to do what I used to do and I trust that it will continue like this. I have to be prepared to accept what may come in this life. I am not very negative, I am a positive person in general and I try to see things thinking that they will get better.