MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 25, 2024

Rafael Nadal

Press Conference

R. NADAL/D. Blanch

6-1, 6-0

(Questions in Spanish.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Rafa, what today did you learn about your body, if anything? Were you able to learn anything about it? If not, what else did you get from the match?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, nothing. No, no, I have been able to play a match against a player with a huge potential, but still very young and still making mistakes.

I mean, I didn't test much my body today. I think I played a decent match doing the things that I had to do to be through, but at the same time, I played against a player that today -- today; I don't know in a few weeks -- he's not solid enough yet because he's making more mistakes.

And probably the scenario, all the situation that he went through to play this kind of match, probably didn't help him, no?

Q. How differently are you training now compared to when you have been at your top level with your body? How difficult is it to be cautious with your body and not push it too far while trying to perform at a high level?

RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, I mean, I try to play at my 100%, but I can't give my 100% every day. But I give my 100% every day. The thing is before, most of the time, I was able to give my 100% of the 100%. Today I'm able to give my 100% of sometimes 40%, sometimes 60%, sometimes 70%, and if I am able to raise this percentage day after day or week after week, why not in the future what can happen? If not, it's impossible and don't make sense.

Q. Last week I was covering Barcelona, and I was asking myself how many times did we write "comeback return" for you. How do you find that phase in you to always, always come back?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I mean, it's part of my tennis career, too, no? Unfortunately I went through a lot of injuries and I had to be back.

The good thing is I was able to be back strong very quick. You know, that's why I was able to achieve some records in terms of holding my ranking in every high position for such a long time and be competitive.

So today is a different story. I mean, I never had this super long period of time without playing and important surgeries. And I never had almost 38 (smiling). Was in a different age.

And I'm trying, as always, tried. Let's see. I am not negative. I am just realistic. I am here to try to explore what can happen in the next couple of weeks.

Q. Rafa, what does it mean to you at this stage of your career to have your entire family watch you give yourself chances to be competitive at a tournament that means so much to you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I would love to play a little bit longer and give him a memory of myself playing tennis. That's what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family.

But probably I will not be able to make that happen, but at least, I mean, happy to have great team and family and friends around me during almost, well, during all my life that helped me in every single way of being happy.

Today is not an exception, no? I still having great family, great team, and the friends from ever, since I was a child, small kid.

That makes me happy, and that's, in some way, make me feel great that they are here, but hopefully they're gonna keep being next to me in the future after my tennis career, and that makes me feel great and super happy.