“Everything has a beginning and an end, it’s not a drama, but I feel some sadness”
BARCELONA, 17 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal commented this Wednesday after losing against the Australian Alex de Miñaur (7-5 and 6-1) in the second round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-71st Conde de Godó Trophy that he entered the duel as if he were the last in Barcelona, with a taste of farewell and leaving with “some sadness” for being “normal”, looking to the future, not trying again to win what would have been its thirteenth Barcelona title.
“I think I have played this tournament as such, like the last one. In the end, the future never knows what it holds for you, in the end life sets your path and decisions. Obviously, life is setting the path for me in a quite clearly and I have played this tournament as if it were my last tournament in Godó,” he said at a press conference.
In his appearance, without ensuring one hundred percent that this would be his last Godó, he used an emotional speech that made one think of a farewell key. “I’m fine. I’m a fairly stable person emotionally speaking, I try to take things philosophically. I try to analyze things correctly. The reality is that the normal thing is that today was my last game here at Godó, as a player. Everyone “You know what this tournament means to me in my entire career,” said the twelve-time winner.
“Historically this has been the tournament par excellence that we have had for years in Spain, with a great tradition. And I, apart from playing at home, have always respected the history of our sport and this is one of the tournaments with the most history and it is really played in a tennis club with a daily life. That is what makes it different. I have really enjoyed playing here, I have lived very nice moments,” he said.
For Nadal, all editions have been “positive.” “I have managed to win 12 times, something unimaginable for me. And I have enjoyed it. I will continue my path, this is tennis, generations pass as is logical and others will come. There is no player more important than the events, which are fixed and some classics,” he said.
“I have been lucky enough to write a beautiful story in this tournament, which had not been written before, and others will arrive and I suppose they will try to surpass it. I have the peace of mind that I have always given my all, I am aware that everything has a beginning and an end , it’s not a drama. Although, it is logical, I have some sadness for almost certainly not being able to play at a professional level again in this tournament,” he said.
Furthermore, he would have liked to be able to fight in the tournament. “It has been nice to be able to play two games, a few weeks ago I didn’t know if I could. On a personal level, losing 6-1 in the second set is what had to happen today and I leave convinced that I have taken a step forward. We’ll see what happens. It wasn’t today when I had to leave everything and die. I have to do it in a few weeks, if I had died today, I couldn’t try to do it in a few weeks,” he said.
And beyond the Mutua Madrid Open, in which he will try to improve, his great goal, the idyllic one, would be to be able to compete and fight to win another Roland Garros until the end, and add it to the 14 he already has. “On a logical level, the plan in Madrid would be to follow a progression and take one more step in terms of being able to fight. Madrid, Rome a little more, and in Paris whatever God wants. If we have to try it, it will be in Roland Garros. There will be no other,” he assured.
“Today, after what I have been going through these past few months, was not the time to look for heroics. It is time to be realistic, to do things in the most prudent way. The reality is that once the first set is lost, the match It’s over. The important thing was to be able to play and I have played. For me, being on the court is already great news. It has cost me a lot to be able to step on a court, after all,” he added.
“I have managed to play again but at a pace that is appropriate to give me the opportunity to progress in the coming weeks. I hope to be able to be in Madrid within a week, that is what is important for me; accumulate training sessions, matches and do things as I can to increase and feel more comfortable in everything,” he stressed about his desire to go to Madrid to try to make himself better known than in Barcelona, in his progression towards Roland Garros and, who knows?, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Regarding the match against Minaur, there was little more to add to the fact that he had no strength. “I have been able to increase the speed a little because I have felt a little more comfortable. But I cannot go from not having served in three months to serving here normally for two hours. From Brisbane here I have played three training sets and the match of Las Vegas. I can’t afford to play a two or three hour game at a competitive level today,” he acknowledged.
“I had the opportunity (to win the first set) but I missed two forehands with 0-30. I guess I missed them because I know that it was vitally important to continue playing to win those points. I knew that if I lost the first set I couldn’t fight for the game today. I play with what I have. I try to be positive at all times,” he added.
“All over the world I have felt super loved and supported and obviously here in my country where more. I can’t ask for anything. I know what they have made me feel, I know the great satisfaction I feel for having received all the support and affection for so many In the end, here we talk about titles and records. I am a competitor, I am not going to deny it, but having played for so many years feeling what I have felt, at home, here and in Madrid and at Davis are the same level of emotion. or more important than the titles. It stays within me almost more than some tournaments,” concluded the Manacorí.
2024-04-17 17:04:52
#played #Godó
