ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2022

Botic van de Zandschlup

Press Conference

R. NADAL/B. van de Zandschulp

6-3, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming, Botic. First question, it was a tough match today, what is the most difficult thing against this man, Rafa Nadal?

BOTIC VAN DE ZANDSCHLUP: Yeah, I think he plays differently from the other players. Ball is coming differently my way. Yeah, he still gives you like the feeling you have to win the point like a couple of times in the match. You have to win like six, seven times during the rally to have to win the point.

So, yeah, that was pretty tough. He let's you play like a lot of important points and I have to say, he didn't miss a lot today and he played pretty well.

Q. Could you just take that a step further, what makes the guy so extraordinary? What are his very greatest weapons and what's it like out there when he's running you corner to corner and has such great defense to offense, just talk about that, if you would.

BOTIC VAN DE ZANDSCHLUP: Yeah, I think you have to play, I have to play myself like a perfect game to make it even tough for him. Even when you go like hard to the floor and he easily redirect it down the line, like he did a couple of times today.

The moving of him is pretty well and he makes so many balls. The return is, he plays the returns so high so it's pretty tough to adjust to the first ball after the serve. And I think he lets you play and, yeah, he didn't let go today.

Q. When you have to win a point six, seven times, does that get, does that get frustrating, is there a mental side to playing him?

BOTIC VAN DE ZANDSCHLUP: Yeah, I think so. It's frustrating when you hit some good shots and he still gets the balls back and, yeah, wins there, wins those points in the end.

So, yeah, it's tough when you play some good points and he still wins the point in the end.

Q. What are the things that you take for your experience? Can you learn something from it? Does it make you a better player? Do you see the areas you have to improve or just two different players?

BOTIC VAN DE ZANDSCHLUP: Yeah, I think I already improved a little bit during the match. I didn't start that well, I started a little bit nervous. And, yeah, I had to adjust a little bit to his game. I think during the third set I started to move a little bit better and I was a little bit more patient in the rallies. And, yeah, there was so many things you can learn from matches like this.