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Photo: REUTERS
Rafael Nadal has arrived at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia where a tough draw is waiting for him, including a possible rematch of the quarter-final he had just lost to Alexander Zverev in Madrid. The world number three, however, is not worried about his form and feels ready to battle for more slam titles, despite the obvious pressure the new generation is bringing.
“It is something normal”, he commented on the fact that no Master 1000 has been won by any of the Big Three since Rome last year: “First thing is that we are missing events. Second thing, there is a new generation of players that are good. I think we are 34, 34, 39. That’s something usual that nothing is forever. You need to be ready to accept”.
“It is normal that after almost 20 years on the tour there is another generation that are winning tournaments”, he went on: “We have been achieving almost every single important event for the last 19 years. Nothing strange. 100% ready to accept that. But I am going to keep fighting. That means that in three weeks there is another Grand Slam that I like to play. I am going to fight to try to play well there”.
And there is no doubt that the defending champion and most decorated player in the history of Roland Garros will come as a favourite to Paris, however, he is focused on doing well in Rome first. Here, he will make his debut against local rising star Jannik Sinner.
“All the matches are difficult”, he commented on the match up against the Italian: “If you talk about a player who is very young and he’s improving every day for sure, and he’s in a moment that he’s ascending in the ranking, he’s confident, he played a great tournament in Miami, is normal is going to be a very tough one”.
“I always try to play enough good to win the match. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it goes other way”, he explained, but he did not hide the fact that a match against a young and up-and-coming prospect is always thrilling: “Tomorrow I need to play well, of course. I know he’s playing well. I know he’s going to be excited about the match. So I am, too. I am excited. I am happy to be in Rome, a place that I know very well and I had great, great tournaments. So, yeah, let’s see. I am quite excited to play that match, too”.
There was also room for some smiles, as reflecting on a 20 years long career, he was asked whether he still surprises himself when he hits one of his crazy winners: “Sometimes you enjoy when you feel yourself ready to produce any kind of shot. There is couple of days that you feel like this. And, of course, it’s a great feeling, no? I mean, the surprise is to be where I am after 20 years more than produce the shot”.
Source: internazionalibnlditalia.com
(Reuters) - Rafa Nadal has raised doubts about his participation in this year’s Tokyo Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying on Tuesday that he has to be flexible and cannot give a clear answer until he organises his schedule for the year.
Japan has extended a state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas until the end of May as the country battles a surge in COVID-19 cases, raising new questions about whether the rescheduled July 23-Aug. 8 Games should go ahead.
Nadal, who won a singles gold in Beijing 2008 and added a doubles title in Rio de Janeiro eight years later partnering Marc Lopez, said that he is yet to firm up his plans on travelling to Tokyo.
“I don’t know yet. Honestly I can’t give you a clear answer because I don’t know. I don’t know my calendar,” Nadal told a news conference at the Rome Masters.
“In a normal world I’ll never think about missing Olympics. There’s no doubt about that. Everybody knows how important it has been for me to always play in the Olympics.
“Under these circumstances, I don’t know. Let’s see what’s going on in the next couple of months. I need to organise my schedule... In a normal year, I know my schedule almost 100% from Jan. 1 until the end of the season.”
“This year is a bit different, no? We need to be flexible. We need to adapt about things that are happening,” Nadal said.
The 20-times Grand Slam champion opens his Rome Masters campaign against local favourite Jannik Sinner on Wednesday.
“... Tomorrow is going to be a tough start, one of the toughest possible against Sinner,” Nadal said.
Photos: Corinne Dubreuil/ABACA
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