Nadal: “I have a lot of work before seeing Djokovic”

Rafa Nadal offered his press conference on Friday prior to the start of Roland Garros, the day after he was able to see the statue that the tournament has placed in his honor within the complex where the French Grand Slam is held. The Spaniard referred to this and also spoke about his first rival, the painting, Osaka's refusal to speak to the media and his “controversial” congratulations to Villarreal, among other things.

About the statue: “I have received many messages of congratulations. It is something amazing for me to have recognition like this in the most important place in my tennis career, something probably unprecedented. It is true that I did something very special in this tournament, but I thank you. to Roland Garros and to the French Federation. Having this memory forever without being French is very satisfying. Up close it is spectacular, it is very well done. It is clean and modern. I am delighted with it. And I repeat that you have to see it up close. “

Popyrin: “He is young, he has power and good shots. I have to be prepared, in the best possible form from the beginning. I always respect my opponents, from the beginning of the race. I have to play well.”

The silence of Osaka: “I respect him. And for her as an athlete, for her personality. We, the sports people, have to be prepared to accept the questions and produce answers. I understand her position, but I think that without the press that travels and writes about what we do, we would not have the recognition that we have around the world and our importance. I think the media is very important in sport. “

Picture: “I see it naturally, one with almost 40 years (Federer), another with almost 35 (Nadal) and another with 34 (Djokovic), the normal thing is that this happens, that young people climb in the ranking. , because I have a lot of work ahead of me before that possible game against Djokovic. They will have to face each other before, if they arrive, and I have to make my way. I have a demanding team and I am focused on my preparation and on continuing to advance in the line we want “.

Preparation and objectives: “I have to arrive as prepared as possible. The titles are there and we have to accept it the way it is. Thank God, and luckily I am in that situation. From Rome things have continued in good line. I have increased the workload, yesterday I did a double session, and then we will have to go down. I think I arrived well, although later we will have to show it on the track “.

Mallorca and Villarreal: “Society is radicalized and tense, it is a fact. But I come from another era, without social networks. The problem is that things that have little importance and little meaning are published in the media. What people think in social networks, they have little responsibility. Those who write in the media do have it and must have a sense of what should be news. The networks have positive and negative things. What is not good is that the media go into things that are not they have neither importance nor meaning. I hardly connect, but I put a tweet to congratulate Villarreal “.