HOW NADAL got to be so good at fielding questions at Press Conferences is unknown to me. But the United State Presidential candidates, as well as our current President, could take some lessons from Rafael Nadal. He does it so very well without planted questioners in the audience. This is talent in a whole different arena than the sport of tennis. And he always does it with humor, frankness and humility. And he never looks life a “stiff”, but a pure natural. …A champion, in his own right, just in how he handles himself with the press. Ask any Presidential candidate and throw in GW Bush, too…ask them how difficult it is to come off so gallant with often lame or stupid questions at times. Rafa does it time and time again.
Another Interview: Q: "Are you going to approach next season differently at all, play fewer tournaments or train in a different way, to make sure you maintain your health?"
RAFAEL NADAL: "No, no, no. Everything is going well. No. 2 in the world for third year in a row. 5,600 points. I don't know if I am the best No. 2 in the history by points, but one of those ones for sure. With these points, in a normal situation, I am the No. 1 in 75% of the situations, no? So I think the things is going very well.
I don't have to change a lot of things. I have to continuing improve my things and I have to try to improve my serve more and more. I have to continuing trying improve my return, my aggressive return, continuing improve the volley, the slice. I improve a lot this year the slice, the volley. I am going more times to the net.
So that is important point for me. But I have to continuing do for be better player, no? But didn't change too much things. You say something about the healthy. So the problem only was one. I wasn't play the U.S. Open with my best performance because I have a problem in the knees. But for the rest, I am the third player or the second player of the tour or the first. I don't know exactly who play more matches every season, and I didn't lose any important tournament. Only the U.S. Open I have this problem. If this problem I have, I don't know, three weeks after when I have to go to Bangkok, no one going to speak something about that.
So I didn't have the best of luck in this situation, no? But I play a lot of matches. I play a lot of weeks, a lot of matches every week. I play Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Hamburg, Paris, Wimbledon. The same every time the final. So is very difficult be a hundred percent always. But this year I didn't have any problem. Only the U.S. Open. So that's very good year for me and very good news because physically I was very good all the year. But sometimes the people always are speaking, Rafa is injury. No, I am not injury. Sometimes I have some problems, but the normal problems like every player, no?"
Here are some choice words from Federer on his recent play:
Q: "You talk about how it's important to analyze when you have the setbacks.
Can you be pragmatic about it? Us mere mortals, if we have a bad day at work, we go home, worry about it, maybe toss and turn, sleep is a bit difficult. Can you put it out of your mind after you've analyzed it?"
ROGER FEDERER: "Well, what is a bad spell or a bad time? Losing against Nalbandian who just came off winning Madrid and stuff, for me that's not a bad time losing back-to-back matches. If I could have lost one match the entire year, it was probably the one against Gonzalez I could really afford it. It didn't really set me back that much like maybe people have thought. I wish I could have played better. But, honestly, Nalbandian was playing unbelievably in Madrid and Paris. Sometimes people don't like to face the truth. But when he's on, he's on. I've got to feel that eight times, you know, unfortunately....
For me, honestly, I was aware of how good my season has been, you know, how good I felt. I didn't have physical problems. I've been playing actually also pretty well. I was playing with confidence during Madrid, Basel, and Paris, and now I'm playing again with my strengths, you know, with my best game."
Nadal's style of play, and whether he can keep it up, is a constant topic in the press. He's given a very definitive answer here: Great year, very healthy, going to do it again.
Submitted By Valerie J. Brighouse
The interview immediately above is from www.rafaelnadal.com Go to “Fan Page” then follow this order of links: Rafa Nadal, History in the making, Masters Cup Shanghai - News and Interviews.
And another gem below from the Fan Page of Rafa’s official website on the match with Federer, which the original source is the Master Shanghai website. This is following the Federer vs. Nadal match November 17, 2007 in Shanghai. Nadal lost.
Nadal said: "I play very good match the first set. I have a lot of chances. Love-30, one break point... Later the first opportunity, he make it. Finally the start of the second set, kill me, no? I tried... He play unbelievable in the beginning of the second... Nothing to say. Just congratulate him. "Today I didn't get the rhythm because the play was very aggressive. Was difficult for me stay in the match. And when I need the rhythm, the rhythm wasn't there because he hit a lot of aces."
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