Rafa Nadal: "It is for these moments that I continue playing"

MADRID, 1 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal stressed that he had "a very intense night" in his victorious quarter-final match at Roland Garros against Serbian Novak Djokovic, but recalled that he is still playing "for the moment", noting that his goal now is "to keep the level" he offered against the number one in the world.

"It was a very intense night, but it's because of these moments that I'm still playing. It's only a few quarter-finals, I haven't won anything, I just gave myself the opportunity to get back on track in two days, although going back to the semi-finals here It means a lot," Nadal said at a press conference after the match.

In any case, he is clear that if he loses "the next game" or does not play "well", it will not be "due to lack of concentration". "I am very stable from an emotional point of view. On Wednesday I will start thinking about what I have to do for the semifinal, but the main objective is to maintain the level at which I played against Djokovic," he warned.

"Novak and I have a great history in common, a lot of important moments against each other and that's why it's always a special match against him. It was emotional because the last three months have not been easy. I don't want to talk about what I went through again. during that time, but it wasn't fun. My team helped me hang on and that's what makes this game so special."

On the possibility that this could be his last year in Paris, the 13-time champion insisted that he cannot "say otherwise". "I'm very clear on this and old enough not to hide things, or say things I don't want to say. I don't know what could happen, we made sure he could play here, but from then on, we don't know," he stressed. .

"I have what I have in my foot and if we don't find solutions, it will be extremely difficult. I enjoy every day that I spend here and I will keep fighting to find a solution, but so far, we haven't found it," Nadal confessed.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion also acknowledged that having his doctor, Dr. Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, allows him to "do things" that relieve pain, but asked not to "talk about it now." "We'll talk about it when my tournament is over. I give everything I have to try to play in the best possible conditions. I don't know what can happen next, but here I think I'll be fine," she assured.

He was also somewhat sympathetic to a late-night session that he didn't quite like. "I can't complain because we have two days off, but if you only have one... I understand this part of the business, the televisions pay a lot to have these games at that time, which allows the tournaments, and therefore the players , make money. You have to find a good balance. Starting the match at 9:00 p.m., on clay and the best of five sets, can take a long time, "he said.

Finally, the Spaniard praised the Philippe-Chatrier audience, who were "incredible" with their support. "I think they know I won't be around for long. Their support is hard to describe and I can't thank them enough. Thank you all, it's one of those unforgettable nights," he said.