ROGERS CUP
Date: 2008-07-27

ROGERS CUP

July 27, 2008

Rafael Nadal
TORONTO, ONTARIO
R. NADAL/N. Kiefer
6-3, 6-2

The Moderator Questions, please.

Question You think it's the year of Spain? Spain is champion in Europe.
Rafael Nadal: Yeah, I know. We don't need to repeat. We win a lot of things.

Question You going to be No. 1 soon?
Rafael Nadal: Every player wants to be No. 1, no? I would love to be No. 1, but I am No. 2 right now, no? I'm very happy for be number 2.
Yes, this year we are doing a lot of things very good and having a lot of very good sportsman in Spain. We are very happy for everything, no? Because we won in the last months a lot of important things for or country, no?

Question Even the Tour de France.
Rafael Nadal: The Tour, the European Championship Football, the Euro. Alonzo (phonetic) is doing very well the last couple years, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, I don't know, a lot of more things.

Question Winning the Masters Series is never easy, but how difficult has this one been to win so close to Wimbledon? Just two weeks to recover, how difficult has that been?
Rafael Nadal: Every tournament is very difficult, no? I won here in Canada in 2005, so win title here is very, very important for me, no?
Especially because this year. I didn't won a tournament yet on hard. Right now I have five titles in a row in three different surfaces, so that's very, very good for me, no?

Question Has your body and mind come up as good as it was before the two Grand Slams?
Rafael Nadal: I am fine, no? I am doing my best seen in my careera, so I just focus for try continuing play like this, no?

Question You talk about wanting to be No. 1, every player wants that. But being No. 2 to Roger for three years and now being so close. If you win in Cincinnati you can be No. 1. How satisfying would it be to get there after putting in so much effort over the past few years?
Rafael Nadal: I repeat, no? For me No. 2 was very important, and I was very happy be the No. 2. Because with my titles, with my points, in a normal situation I, well, would have been No. 1 before.
So I think I have to be happy, very happy anyway if I am No. 1 or No. 2. Because if I am No. 2 it's because in front of me there is amazing player like Roger, no?

Question You had the label of being a clay court player, and then you won on grass at Wimbledon. The next step is hard courts. Is that the big challenge to prove to everyone that you can win on any surface?
Rafael Nadal: I win on every surface, no? I win on grass, on hard, on indoor, and on clay, too. So if I am playing my best tennis I can win on every surface, no?
Sure, for me the grass and hard is a little more difficult, but I know if I am playing my best tennis I can play good here, too. I am always trying for improve my tennis in every surface.

Question Today was not the toughest match of the week, I suppose.
Rafael Nadal: Well, the result was easier than the match I think, no? But I have a tough moment in 2-All second set. A lot of breakpoints against. Well, not a lot. Some two, three, so it was a difficult moment.
But it was very difficult to play today, no? Was a lot of the wind, moving a lot. It's not all the time in the same direction, no? So it's moving around a lot. Was very difficult to play.
Finally I win, so matches like this the important thing, the only thing, is win.

Question Can you just talk about your plan for your next couple of days, how you're going to prepare? Are you going to relax and forget about tennis for a bit, or are you going straight into preparation for Cincinnati and then Olympics after that?
Rafael Nadal: I don't have these couple of days.

Question No time to relax then?
Rafael Nadal: No time for prepare, no time for nothing. I just going to be in Cincinnati tomorrow I think, and just try to practice a little bit tomorrow. After tomorrow I probably play on Wednesday, no?

Question Obviously you're being asked a lot about No. 1, but the top ranking is more than just a number. Suddenly you become the face of the tour, and there's a lot of attention. Have you thought about that, and are you prepared for that if it happens in the next few weeks?
Rafael Nadal: I think doesn't change too much being No. 1 or No. 2. If I No. 1 I think for sure I am prepared, because I was prepared three years for defend the points and for play with the pression for be No. 2.
So if I No. 1 I gonna be prepared, sure. I am prepared. But, you know, right now I still No. 2. I think you guys forget, and that's the true right now, no?

Question No. 1 again. Do you know exactly how many victories you have to get to overcome Federer?
Rafael Nadal: No.

Question Really?
Rafael Nadal: Yes, really, because I didn't know exactly -- I think the points doesn't going anyway the same week like last year, no? This tournament...

Question It's very difficult. But anyway, you have how many victories to get now?
Rafael Nadal: Victories? It's impossible to have calculate because he has to play, too. So depends if he win, if he lose, if I win, if I lose. I don't know exactly, no?
If I win I going to be No. 1, no? If I win the next matches, no, that's for sure.

Question At what point today did you know that you were going to win that match? Was it after you broke him in the second set?
Rafael Nadal: Well, when I have the break in the second set it was very important, no? I was feeling comfortable with my serve. Only that game I have problems. For the rest he was feeling good with the serve.
When I had the break I feel I am very close.

Question Coming back to Carlos winning the Tour de France, is it bigger news in Spain you winning Wimbledon, or how do you compare?
Rafael Nadal: I think it's no comparation (sic), no? It's totally different sports. So just congratulate Carlos. Very happy for all. The people in Spain are very happy about our sportsmen. I am a sportsman, and I'm very happy other Spanish having a very important title, most important title in bicycles, no?
So just congratulate him. It's difficult to compare. Both are very important, no?