With emotion inside, as he himself acknowledged during what was his last press conference at the Madrid Open. Rafa Nadal, who was received and bid farewell with applause by the media, appreciated his farewell to the Spanish capital after falling with Jiri Lehecka, and stressed how lucky he feels for all the love received. Furthermore, he explained his roadmap in the nearest future, which passes through Rome next week.
He will never play in Spain again: “An exciting night, they have never let me down, the people here have made me feel these years is something that will stay with me forever. I have enjoyed it. A month, three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I would play an official match again. I was able to say goodbye on the track and at a decent level. It means a lot to me to have played here. For me, this city, Spain, has always meant support and energy that has helped me decisively in my career and today I take with me a very beautiful energy, an indelible memory. I will never have the opportunity to thank you enough. I don’t know if it will be the last time I play in Spain, I don’t know if there may be another option or not, it is something that I have not considered, but it is very likely that it will be like that. If so, it’s a great memory and a great night.”
Without tears: “Yes, I have been very emotional inside, the thing is that I have endured. I didn’t want to shed tears because I haven’t finished my journey with the racket in my hand. I have finished in Madrid. It has been an extremely exciting night, but perhaps it is not the time to let go of everything I have inside at the level of emotions or sensations. I still have a way to go and I don’t want to let go of that adrenaline yet. I leave this week having taken steps forward, we will have to see if I am able to consolidate these advances. I came here with doubts in every way and I leave here with fewer doubts. It has been an incredibly positive week. Today I played a match in which my rival played at a very high level and despite this I was competitive, I had my small opportunities. He has been inspired and congratulate him for it. My first set has been my best set since I have competed again, what I look for in leg activity, control and speed of the ball, it is the day in which I was best positioned on the court. Afterwards, it is true that I have had a bit of a decline muscularly, which is logical after yesterday’s game. But I am satisfied with this week in every way.”
Return to Spain: “There is a Davis Cup ahead that may be ruled out by a high percentage, but not 100%. You never know what can happen in the future. I have tried these months not to confirm things that could turn against me. If they turned against me, I would be the first to admit it. When I haven’t told you how things were going, perhaps at times you have had the perception that you didn’t know what was happening, it’s because I didn’t know either. It is difficult to tell things when you don’t know how they are going to evolve and what is going to happen, and that is why I have had little communication with you, not out of pleasure, but because of the feeling of not being able to tell anything real. What will happen in the future will be seen, I am satisfied and at peace with everything that has happened and with my career. I have made an effort to extend my career as long as possible for many reasons, out of a sense of duty and because I still like and get excited about playing this sport. Happy with everything, we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”
Doubts dispelled and Roland Garros: “I have nothing guaranteed, what I do have behind me is that I have played four games in Madrid. Although today I ended up a little more tired muscularly, it is nothing serious, so my body has endured several hours at a good level. My tennis is better than when I arrived, this is a wheel, if I don’t have the confidence that the tennis will hold up it won’t work. If my body holds out, I don’t know what can happen. Sport changes things quickly, and I am doing things in the most prudent way, I do what I can to continue giving myself options in these upcoming tournaments. I will say about Paris after Rome, I would like to be sure. “I’m going to explore what can happen in Rome, I would like to play Rome.”
The effort pays off: “It always pays off, and even if it hadn’t arrived it also pays off. It’s worth it to me because if not, I’m not at peace with myself. And that is a vital basic principle for me, returning home with the feeling of having done everything in my power to make things go well. You lose, you win, and it’s part of our world. But the feeling of trying hard to make things go well is something that I have managed to almost take to the extreme in my career, and in recovering from injuries I try to make it that way too. I have been lucky to have very good people by my side in all facets. In difficult moments I have always had the support of all the people, added to the affection of the followers.”
As a young man, he imagined being in this situation: “As a young man of 18, at that time I was not prepared to visualize a future like the one I have had. When you look at things today and look back, it’s a different perspective. But, at that time, in 2005, what worried me was winning that final and I didn’t think about the afterlife. That final was the beginning of the many bad things I have had in my career, but it is one of the ones I am most fond of. The next day I could hardly even walk, I broke my scaphoid in the game and I didn’t really notice it, it was one of the most serious injuries of my career. For me, my circle in Madrid is closed, I couldn’t imagine being playing here at my age. It has been a race with complicated moments, less than expected, but despite the problems that have arisen there is not the slightest bit of complaint about anything. Although the injuries have given me significant suffering, they have given me the ability to value the good things that have happened to me. There are times when we forget to enjoy ourselves when we are in the whirlwind of winning and winning.”
People crying: “A great personal satisfaction, when someone gets emotional it is not just because of the sporting aspect. I guess I have done things well, not just with the racket in my hand. We all make mistakes, but I have really tried to be respectful, kind, and serve people in the best way I know how. On the track I have tried to have appropriate behavior and I have succeeded most of the times. It is normal for the people around me to cry, even if I have had horrible behavior, they would cry because they love me. If people who are not so close to me are moved, for me it is a very great personal satisfaction. It has real value, it is human beings and people. I hope I have been, at least, not a bad example for the new generations and for the children who have seen me on TV all these years.”
The following: “I’m going to try to play in Rome, it’s another special tournament in my career. I’ve won 10, a lot of emotions there too. Playing tournaments in which I have been successful, I missed Monte Carlo, but I really enjoy Rome. I am going to try to play well, I want to be competitive and play good tennis, I will work hard to see what can happen. Today is an emotional, unforgettable day as I say goodbye to Madrid, probably the place where I have received the most love during these years, but my career continues and I have my goals. In the next few weeks I want to see if I can get it.”
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2024-04-30 23:46:59
#Nadal #Rome #Ill #Paris
