Disappointed and somewhat hesitant, Rafael Nadal appeared at a press conference after fall in five sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals of Australian Open, in a match that dominated 2-0 after one hour and 18 minutes of play.
Lost occasion: “It is not, it was a quarterfinal match and the preparation had not been perfect, it was an opportunity to be in the fight at the Australian Open, which is one of my favorite tournaments, without a doubt, but there was work to be done” .
How it feels: “I'm not happy, but what can I do, play better next time or at least try. The errors in the tie-break were decisive. I played well in the first two sets, but then he was at a very good level, especially in the fourth and fifth sets, when he made very few mistakes. He probably played better than me in important moments. My attitude has been adequate, I think I stayed positive, but physically I was a bit lacking, an extra spark, but I missed a shot very comfortable, a forehand and another shot in that tiebreaker. “
Keys: “I lacked things and did others well. Things have not gone as expected, but I am going much healthier, which for me is mentally very positive. Let's see what happens now, I have to go home and understand what I have to do next. this difficult situation that we live and prepare myself in the best possible way ”.
Physical state: “I should be prepared for that. I think my physical stamina is pretty good. It's true that I probably need a little more time, because I was in really good shape and for 20 days I couldn't practice the way I expected, I couldn't play a game. Only match in the ATP Cup. Yes, maybe this kind of thing would have helped a little to be physically better. Because the more games you play and the more you train against good players, playing sets, then you have a better chance of being better. I complain a lot. I think physically it was a very wet day. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't bad either. I was able to fight until the end, and that's it. What is clear is that the problem was not my back. “
Mistakes: “I didn't play a bad game in the fifth set, just a bad game in the equal five. If I had won the tie-break we would be at the hotel a long time ago. I was wrong in a few tactical things, which I have to analyze, but it was not easy either on a fast track and with an opponent who was serving well and hitting the ball fast and hard. The first two sets have been easier because he played them worse. Sometimes suffering is won, but sometimes not. You have to accept it, life goes on, without drama ”.
Near the end of the press conference, Nadal suffered a cramp and got up to leave the room, then came back and explained what had happened: “They have asked me if I was well prepared and it has been shown that I was not, it gave me a jerk and I decided to go out whistling because that time at the US Open I stretched, I almost fell off my chair, and many memes were made.”