Rafael Nadal talks to the media after losing his 4th straight match in the season to Novak Djokovic without winning a set. The Spaniard hasn’t manage to win a set against the Serb in 2015, but still manages to wrap up the 2015 season on a positive note. Nadal feels good physically, but admits his rival has been playing on a different league this year. The Spaniard will only take one week off.
https://soundcloud.com/ubitennis/nadal-i-dont-know-if-i-will-watch-davis-cup
Rafael Nadal wasn’t quite sure at one point this season whether he was going to make an appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals. That time came not so long ago, soon after the Spaniard was ousted by Fabio Fognini in the US Open’s third round in September. Shocking to say for someone who has won 14 Grand Slam titles and been on top of the men’s game for over a decade now. Even more alarming was the fact that the Spaniard was in doubt of qualifying for London not due to a bad injury and months away from the court, but rather because of his inability to fight new demons, in the shape of nerves, on what has been a second home for him all along: The tennis court.
To finish the year with a semi-final at the O2 Arena in London can therefore already be considered a success for the former World No.1, even if a 4th straight defeat in the year against Novak Djokovic could still be very hard to digest. On clay, on hard courts or indoors, Rafa hasn’t manage to take a set away from the World No.1 in 2015.
Speaking to the media after the defeat to Djokovic, Nadal said about the World No.1:
“Right now he is hitting amazing. The return is always amazing, he is able to play without mistakes. He was better than me, and he deserved what he had all season.”
The Spaniard also cracked a joke: “When someone plays like this you can just congratulate him and not wish him best of luck for next year (smiling)”.
What does the Spaniard need to do to keep on improving his tennis after such a tough year?
“I din’t try to change my technique, but rather my position on court. I improved a lot over the past two months. I have to keep doing what I have been doing so far, to have more chances against Novak next year.”
“I am happy about the tournament, about the positive energy I felt on court. Now I take one week to rest and that’s it, back on court.”
Being very honest, Nadal said he didn’t feel frustrated on court today and here is why:
“When someone is better than you, you can just try to find a solution rather than get frustrated. I have to accept he has been better than me. I don’t think Novak can improve so much more, whereas I have more room for improvement. So I want to keep going, to feel better and I am going to work hard to make it happen.”
“I don’t practice thinking about others, but rather on how to improve my own tennis and get better. That’s it. I don’t think ‘what i need to do to beat Novak or Roger’. I play for myself, to get better. I hope 2016 will be a better season for me.”
Djokovic has played one of the best seasons not just for himself, but for tennis’ history. How far can the Serb go? Nadal acknowledges Novak’s dominance but he also warns the future stays unpredictable.
“Novak is almost unbeatable at the moment. You can just congratulate him. But you never know what is going to happen in the future. I have been on the top for a while, then suddenly get injuries and have to fight to climb back. Novak right now is amazing, but is not easy to stay on that level for 4 or 5 years in a row.”
“I haven’t been worried about Novak all year, because we played in a different league. In the last month and a half I feel like I have finally made it to the same league. I felt like I was in the top league. ”
Being in England few days before the historical Davis Cup final for team GB, Nadal was asked his take on the final match.
“I don’t know if I am going to watch the Davis Cup final, because I will be busy with a charity event for my foundation. I think clay makes Belgium have a better chance. Andy on the other hand plays well on every surface. But the second players for both nations play better on hard. Belgium has to focus on the second matches and trying to win the doubles.”
https://soundcloud.com/ubitennis/nadal-novak-is-almost-unbeatable
With today’s win, Djokovic has finally tied Nadal in their Head-2-Head record with 23 wins for each player.
“To have two good players like me and Novak winning the same number of matches isn’t so surprising. I don’t want to seem arrogant, but I don’t see it so surprising. The Head-2-Head help in the analysis of rivalries.”
Despite the few ups and many downs, Nadal can close on a positive note his 2015 season now.
“My body feels good. I am able to practice a lot and compete well on long matches. I was a lot more worried for my body at the start of the season. I played a full season without big problems and finished feeling good. It is important for me to feel good physically. One of the reasons I am able to improve is that I feel good with my body and I can practice a lot.”
The Spaniard cordially wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the whole media room.
