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US OPEN

August 23, 2019

Rafael Nadal

New York, NY, USA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In your preparation, is diet important? How important is what you eat when it comes to your preparation?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I have been not very, very focused on the diet for all my life. Of course, when you are getting older, every small thing can have a bigger impact, no?

Obviously I try to take care about my eating habits. But normally I just try to have a very normal life.

Q. You've had so many tremendous moments in the US Open. Which match resonates with you the most playing this luxurious tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think the match I have best memory probably is the final of 2013. Have been a so important victory for me after a big and long injury in 2012. Be able to win a Grand Slam here on hard again have been so special for me.

Q. The big four, the big three, first it was Andy, then Stan, now Dominic. Talk a little bit about Dominic Thiem. You had two great finals with him. What would it take for him to break into the big four?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is difficult to say, no? He is there already. He is the No. 4 now. Every year he's improving. Already this year he won a Masters 1000 on hard. He played again the final in Roland Garros.

Every day he is a very solid, and every year is more solid. He has everything to win important events. He already is winning important events.

He's a very, very hard worker. Just a question of time that he achieve all his goals.

Q. Talk about being his teammate at Laver Cup.
RAFAEL NADAL: We share the team two years ago in Prague. Is always great to share moments with him. He's a great, great man. Good human person. A good friend of mine, yeah.

Q. Do you have an advantage where the draw came out with Roger and Djokovic?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I have to win my matches to have an advantage because I only can meet them in the semifinals. I have plenty of work before that to know if I have an advantage or not. So let's see if I am able to do my work for my side.

That's not an advantage or disadvantage. That's part of the draw. That's part of the things that happen when you are No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. For example, in Wimbledon was the other way. They changed. Now here is the opposite.

Let's see what's going on.

Q. A lot of people speak about the serve and how much of a weapon the serve is. People don't talk as much about the return. Could you talk about how important the return is, how important it is to a player's game and success.
RAFAEL NADAL: On hard courts, serve and return are so important, no? Both shots have a very big impact on the success or not in this sport.

Honestly, I think have a good return and a good serve gives you a very, very big advantage. The two first shots of the point are decisive. You play rallies, yes, but every time the game is moving in a more aggressive way. You need to start the point the right way. If not, you are in big trouble.

Q. USTA has a Net Generation Kids Zone here where kids can play different sports. As someone that played a lot of soccer growing up, how important was that to your development as a tennis player? How important is it for kids to play a lot of sports?
RAFAEL NADAL: For the kids, the most important thing is to have fun more than thinking about being professionals in anything. When they are kids, they have to enjoy life. They have to play different sports. They have to enjoy every single day.

Is not thinking about they going to play soccer because that can help for tennis or not, no? I think that can help to be happier. That's the most important thing. Then if they are happier, normally when they go to play tennis, they have a better chance to try their best.

Of course, in my opinion, to develop your weapons in different sports, it's better because you have better options, you have the mind more open for all the movements.

Q. You've experienced success at a young age. You were a teenager when you won a slam. In your opinion and experience, what are the most important things to protect a young player doing very well? What is key to make sure your career is going the right way and you're protected in the right way?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think overprotection is sometimes not good because they are not able to grow. The life is not that easy always. You need to be prepared for the tough moments. If you overprotect the young kids, when they going to have problems, because in life you going to have problems at some point, probably they are not very well-prepared.

In my opinion, you cannot say, Okay, we protect all the problems that you can face at the age of 16, 17, 18. I don't think is good. Then the development of the kids are slower.

Probably that's one of the reasons I have been able to be very competitive at very young stages of my career. I probably get a normal education, not like superstar education. I just played on the street with my friends. I had a very really normal life. That helps you to grow with the normal education.

Q. How much better physically do you feel going into this year's US Open as opposed to last year when I remember you had some knee issues? The win in Canada, how nice a boost is that for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope to be ready. Last year, honestly, I was not that bad. Of course, my feeling on the knees are better this year than last year. Last year the problem was I played three or four very, very long matches. That's tough. Then happened in that semifinals the thing with the knee. I hope to be ready for it. I think I am playing well. I am practicing the right way during these days.

Of course, winning in Montreal help. I am ready for the action. Hopefully remain couple of days of good practices. Let's see if I'm able to make that happen.

Q. How difficult psychologically is it going to be for these two weeks?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I can't predict the future. Of course, arrive to the big events with good feelings helps. My last events have been win Rome, win in Roland Garros, semifinals in Wimbledon, and winning Montreal. That's a positive feeling, positive memory on my mind. That helps for the confidence, help for the positive feelings.

But the main thing is arrive here and adapt to the conditions, feel yourself ready, playing well. For the moment I am feeling well. I think I am practicing well during the whole week. Now remain a couple of days to just push a little bit more and just try to start the tournament in a good way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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