“The most important thing is who will be better in three weeks”
The Spaniard ends up “lame” and worn out against Goffin: “Closing it earlier would have given me more options for the tournament”
MADRID, 5 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal regretted not having closed his victory against David Goffin in the two options he had in the second set, reaching a demanding third that could make him pay for his inactivity in the “future” of the Mutua Madrid Open, where he could measure in the quarterfinals with a favorite Carlos Alcaraz.
The one from Manacor was asked about the epic and comeback that Real Madrid signed the night before, and recalled that the one from the comeback was Goffin, although he had to save another four match points in the third set tie-break . “The comeback has been Goffin’s, then we have reached the ‘tie-break’, which he has also come from, I have saved four match points, that is what he has played today,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.
“Last night was incredible, very exciting, unforgettable for those of us who are from Madrid and like football. It was cruel for City, I feel sorry for them, as an athlete,” added a Nadal who was present at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid got the ticket to the final of the Champions League in extra time.
Nadal insisted like the rest of the week that his preparation is zero and therefore the ups and downs in Madrid. In addition, the demand for his second victory can take its toll. “I have played three hours, and this is going well for me. But not so positive for this tournament, I have zero preparation, we have to see how I can get up tomorrow after almost two months without any preparation. You have to be prepared to accept that the things can be very difficult,” he explained.
“Thinking in the medium term, we knew how we got there. I played better yesterday than today, when you haven’t played for a while you know there are better and worse moments. It’s difficult to maintain continuity, but winning is very important when you haven’t played for a long time,” he added. , explaining his limp after three hours of play as something normal.
“It’s part of my day to day, more so when they are long games, I end up lame. I have a chronic injury to my foot and it’s incurable. It’s a part of my life and the bad thing is that I didn’t finish the game earlier. He has to adapt to the stress produced by the matches. Tomorrow it could be complicated because I can wake up with more problems than I should have”, he added.
Nadal thanked the support of a Manolo Santana that this Friday could divide his spirit if the Murcian advances, in the generational duel with the Balearic and Alcaraz. “I always thank them. Playing here is a unique feeling. The 10,000 that were there have a decisive impact on the final result. What I don’t fail to do is try, then sometimes my tennis or my physique fails, or the rival”, he said. .
“It is a very difficult match. Today he is better than me, he comes from a very good dynamic. I am aware of what is there, I am a realistic person and that does not lead me to not admit him and do what I can. Today Alcaraz is better than me. Carlos is fit, I’m coming off a period out. I’m sure who’s ahead. Closing it earlier would have given me more options for the future of the tournament, but you never know. I hope to recover and give myself my options,” he added.
As he warned upon his arrival in Madrid, Nadal recalled that this time, with the six-week break due to his broken rib, his goal is to recover his best version ahead of Roland Garros. “The most important thing is not who is better tomorrow, for me, it is who is going to be better in three weeks. I have to set my goals in this way, because I have never taken tournaments as preparation for other things, but my reality is different. I am not trying to take pressure off myself, each one of us arrived with different lines,” he said.
“I see it naturally, it is a generational change. It has happened throughout history and thank God that someone like Carlos has arrived to keep our tennis level very high for many years. As a sports fan and Spanish, it is fantastic news have a player like Carlos. My rivals are Djokovic, Federer, Murray in his day. Carlos is one more rival who is going to compete for the important things. The time I have left will bother me but later I will enjoy it as a spectator.” , term.