VAMOS RAFA!

Rafa's next post: Jun 3rd, 2006

Hi everyone, 

Here I am again on a very special day. As you know today it was my 20th birthday. That means I am no longer a teenager!!! Not sure if that's good or bad.

Well, it was a special day: My birthday and a very difficult match. I knew it was going to be difficult and therefore I was a bit nervous before the match. To play a French player at home is never easy and on top of that Paul-Henri plays great tennis as everyone has seen. Sometimes people think it is easy for us, but believe me it is very difficult. 

Today as I mentioned to you yesterday, I got a 10 am pick up at the hotel and we headed again for the site. Being Saturday morning, the traffic to get to the site was much better and that means that in 15 minutes we were there. 

People are very nice with me and a lot of them knew it was my birthday so from the driver who took us to the site, the people at the security at the tournament and everyone that works there gave us the good morning with a big smile and a happy birthday. So the first thing I want to say is thanks to all of you who have been sending me messages in any way.

Coming to my day, as you can imagine, 5 hours of today were taken by a match. I am playing too many of these, right? In Rome over 5 hours and today nearly 5 hours... With days like this the day goes fast.

I warmed up again with Martin del Potro. For those of you who don't know him, he is a very tall Argentinean player that plays really good. I think he is over 1m 90. You will hear that name in the future. He left today to Buenos Aires so I am changing tomorrow to another partner to hit with.

I took things easy today and stayed most of the time in the locker room. You want to stay calm and quiet before such an important match and therefore I only went upstairs to get some food.

I am not going to talk about the match since some of you have seen it on TV (or in the stadium) and also the media is giving reports of it. Right after the match I was very tired and I have a picture there to prove it. It was getting late and they told me that I had to go somewhere before going to press. It happened to be a surprise and they gave me a cake (it was pretty good although I don't know what was it) and some champagne. The tournament people, ATP and ITF had prepared all the photographers and TVs there to take pictures of it. 

My uncle Toni and his wife and daughter were there as well. Toni came close to me and put the cake on my face.    Thank God it was a hard one and it did not stay. The funny thing was that the candles where like rockets and I got pretty scared since the fire was pretty big. We all drank some of the champagne and ate the cake with the media and organizers. This is very nice of them and I want to thank them. Last year my birthday was also in this tournament and I remember that Pau Gasol brought in the cake into the press conference room. I still remember it.

So we got pretty late to the press conference. I think it was around 9.30 pm. I have also sent a picture they took of me at the press conference and another one with the t-shirt that the Spanish journalists gave me as a present. 

Guys, thank you very much for the t-shirt and for all the time you follow me. We have to take a picture of all of you and post it here also so that people see your faces.

After the press conference, I think it was 10 pm or so, we went to the transport office to get a car to take us back to the hotel. It was already dark and when we passed the Eiffel Tower, I took a picture of it. It is really nice at night with all the lights illuminating it.

Apparently my team had booked a table at a very nice restaurant in Paris to celebrate the birthday but since it was so late they had to cancel it (I was also very tired) and we decided to go to the pizzeria we have been going to these days. I ate some fried gambas with rice and some grilled fish (loup in French). 

Carlos Costa took a picture of the group. You will recognise there also is Alex Corretja who came with us since he is also staying at the same hotel. We talked about the match, about funny stories on tour such as old matches, surprise results in the past, the World Cup and other things.

Anyway, I am going to leave you guys since I am writing this after dinner, it is late and I still have to get a short massage. Tomorrow I am going late to the tournament to get a light practice around 2 pm.

See you all tomorrow.

Rafa

___________________________________________________________

Interview before Roland Garros

Day 14 - An interview with Rafael Nadal
Saturday, June 10, 2006


Q. After the Rome final, Roger Federer said, "Now I guess I know how to beat him." What do you think? How can he do this probably?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think nothing about that, no? Maybe he can beat me not now, after Rome. He can beat me in Monte‑Carlo, last year here, in Rome. Every time he can beat me. He is No. 1. I need find solution for beat him, not he find a solution for beat me, no?

Q. If you compare these finals of Rome, Monte‑Carlo, do you think the two of you got closer together, or the games were closer?

RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe that's not true. That's not true. Maybe that's not true. Every match is different. Every match is different history. Every match is different sensations, different places. Is not we can't compare one with other one. Is not exactly now he know me better and he can beat me because he can beat me in Monte‑Carlo and in every place. He's the best of the world, one of the best of the history, no? He can beat me in clay, for sure. But not now; every time, no?

Q. Are you getting used to all the show biz, coming today, talking to the journalists, the publicity? Does it make you tired or are you getting used to it?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I know I need do that. Is a part of the work. And I know, no? I know why we need do that, no?

Q. Tomorrow's final, are you waiting it with tension because of the intensity of the match or are you waiting it with, I would say, tennis appetite?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I am waiting with motivation. I wait with motivation and with...

Q. Is there an extra stress of playing against Federer compared to the other matches?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, is against the No. 1. I know he's the No. 1. He has the pression. I want to win, sure, but he has the most pression, no? He's the favorite. If he win tomorrow, he have the Grand Slam.

So for me, he has more pression than me, no? I gonna try my best. But I am quiet, no? I am with calm now. Tomorrow before the match I gonna be nervous, sure.

Q. But do you sincerely believe he is the favorite?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure.

BENITO PEREZ‑BARBADILLO: He says he's not throwing balls away. He said, "I'm not throwing balls away."

Q. What do you remember about last year's final? Puerta seemed to be injured at the beginning, then he played very, very good. It was very exciting for you. It was a closer match than you expected?

RAFAEL NADAL: Final last year?

Q. Last year against Puerta, it was a very good match, you enjoy?

RAFAEL NADAL: I enjoy and suffer. It was a very, very tough match. Nice, maybe. Many emotions, emotive. So I remember exactly the final. I watch this final on TV a lot of times. I run a lot. I was running a lot and fight a lot, no? So I had a very good remember all last year, no.

Q. You think it is sad that Puerta cannot play now, or that's the rules and that's how it has to be?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't want to speak about that, no? Because I always think about the good faith of the players, and maybe is a mistake. So I don't want to speak about nothing because he's a... (in Spanish).

BENITO PEREZ‑BARBADILLO: Working companion.

RAFAEL NADAL: Working companion. I don't want to think he want to do the doping he don't won. Is better lose the final of Roland Garros for sure than not play for never, no?

Q. You've been unbeaten on clay for over 50 games in a row. How much confidence do you take out of this fact? How much confidence does this give to you?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, is confidence for sure. I have 59 matches consecutive on clay, so that's an unbelievable record for me.

Is very difficult. I know very much I could lose, sure, but when I go to the court I feel with confidence for that, too, no?

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. What is the difference between the final of last year and this final? The match, the opponent, everything?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't like comparing previous years with this year. I don't think you can compare. It's different times, different situations. It's a different moment in life. I don't think we can compare. These are two entirely different finals.

Last year and this final are completely different. I think last year I was probably the favorite. This year it's not the case. It's a completely different moment.

Q. How are you preparing from the mental point of view for the final? And, second question, what past player would you have liked to play a final of Roland Garros against?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I'm going to prepare the same as any other match. I don't think I'm going to do anything special. I like to follow my routine. I think it's extra pressure to change your preparation. I'm going to try to prepare the same as ever.

And in terms of players of the past that I would have liked to face Kuerten. I think I would have liked to play a number of players.

Q. Can you explain the influence of your uncle Miguel Angel on your career?

RAFAEL NADAL: Miguel Angel?

Q. Yes, his influence. Did he have an influence on you when you were a child?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think so. I think that my family benefitted from the experience. I think that it helped me to assimilate a number of things. It served as a reference, possibly.

But he also had his life, he had his work. Until last year practically, I didn't see him that much. I saw him when he was home in Mallorca, but he was frequently away and I was frequently away as well.

Q. We know that you don't really like to change your tennis in terms of your opponents, but you want to be more aggressive against Federer?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, but I'll follow my usual game. You have to play your own game. If you try to do something you don't know how to do, you'll probably play badly. I'm going to play my usual game, my usual tennis. That is the starting point. I might try to attack a little bit more, to be a little bit more aggressive, to try to get into control of the match.


taken from http://www.rolandgarros.com/

RAFA RAFA RAFA

what i can remember, is that since May 2013, i have officially became rafael nadal fan.

ahhh, this boyish man is really really interest me in a way i never thought before.

and I am eager finding out his stories and updated news.

well, tonight i've just found this letter,  awww so cute of him :D

Here is his first installment
http://www.atptennis.com/en/blog/nadal.asp

¡Hola todos! Hello everyone!

I'm looking forward to writing the blog to be simultaneously posted at ATPtennis.com and on my home page www.rafaelnadal.com during Roland Garros so you can follow my progress and see what my days are like. It's the first time I've written a blog and it will be a lot of fun. A lot of people want to know what I do, especially at Roland Garros, and the blog will be a good way for them to find out.

But first let me tell you about a great night at the Laureus Awards last Monday and my week so far leading up to the start of Roland Garros. Last Monday was a very hectic day that started with a press conference in Palma de Mallorca to promote an exhibition scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. After the press conference I rushed to do a TV interview on IB3 with Carlos Moya - it's the first time I can remember doing a live TV show together with him.

Then I rushed to the airport to fly to Barcelona for the Laureus World Sports Awards but when I arrived I saw that my plane had been delayed by a couple of hours, which caused me to panic a little. I was able to get on a different flight that got me there at 4pm since I was due to be at the awards at 6.30. I was very happy that I could take my whole family with me - my mother, father, sister, Toni and my four grandparents. I also got invitations for my sponsors.

For the first time in my life I had to get dressed into a black tie suit, as did all of my family. (The ladies wore full-length dresses.) There were so many sports stars staying at the hotel. When I was getting ready to get dressed I was rushing out of the elevator and I crashed into Formula 1 driver Mika Hakkinen. I said 'Wow, there are so many famous people around.'

Driving in the car to the awards we got into a deep conversation about the Da Vinci Code, which is the latest movie that I have seen. I got into an argument with my mother and father and Benito from the ATP because we had different perspectives on the movie.

We arrived at the awards on time and our car was just about to pull up to the red carpet when a lot of cars overtook us. It's King Juan Carlos and his entourage! So, you know we stopped and wait for my turn. We stayed in the car for three or four minutes. We actually were joking with the police, asking them to give the King a ticket for speeding.

When I stepped out of the car I was amazed at how many journalists, photographers and TV people there were on the red carpet. I had to decide who to walk down the red carpet with: my sister or my mother. Both are beautiful ladies, but I thought that if I walked out with my sister the media who didn't know her may speculate that she was my girlfriend and also she is a bit shy, so I decided to walk with my mother. I think she was overwhelmed with all the media attention so I let her go while I made some interviews for TV.

One of the best parts of the night was seeing so many famous people you only get to see on TV, such as Moto GP world champion Valentino Rossi, who I admire a lot, and skier Alberto Tomba and so many other sportsmen and sportswomen. I chatted with Spanish golf legend Seve Ballesteros, Spanish cycling legend Miguel Indurain, famous model Valeria Mazza and Spanish actress Elsa Pataky.

I asked Benito to introduce me to Rossi and when we were walking towards him he said, "Hey, Nadal! I always watch you play on TV!" I was surprised, you know, I wanted to get introduced to him, but it was him asking me to take a picture. Rossi said he'd send the picture but I'm still waiting. So Valentino, if you're reading the blog, send it through! He's really a nice guy and I would love to go and see a GP live.

But before that at the ceremony itself, when my name came out as the winner of the Newcomer of the Year award it was amazing and then I got really nervous, wondering what I would say. On top of that the King gave me the award, which is really an honor for me. One thing that makes me so proud to win the award is that it goes beyond tennis and the first thing that came to my mind was to thank a lot of people, all of the people who have helped me, the Academy members for voting for me and of course all my fans.

After the awards and the interviews we went into the ballroom to have dinner. I was lucky to be seated next to one of the King's daughters, Princess Cristina, (she and her husband are the Duchess and Duke of Palma) who I knew from before since they are the ones who gave me the trophy in Barcelona. And also sitting next to me was Flavio Briatore, the boss of the Renault Formula One team. He told me a lot of things about F-1.

Roger Federer, who won the World Sportsman of the Year Award for the second year, was also at the same table. Everyone knows I like Roger. We speak to each other in English. Also at the table was the coach of FC Barcelona, Johan Cruyff, who also got an award. He also was the coach/manager of the team when my uncle Miguel Angel played for Barcelona. (Laureus Photo Gallery)

After dinner people had some drinks and went to the disco, but I had a 9am flight back to Palma so I didn't stay out late. The exhibition with Moya, Mirnyi, Malisse, Panetta and Kuznetsova was rained out Tuesday, which is very strange because it doesn't rain too much in Palma. Tuesday night we had a Hugo Boss party and a lot of my friends from the island were there.

I flew to Paris on Thursday and that was the first day in a long while that I didn't have any media commitments scheduled. I had a practice at Roland Garros with Moya. On Friday it was back to Roland Garros for the draw ceremony. I pulled out the women's seeds and Justine Henin-Hardenne did the men's seeds. Then there was a media day at 4pm. On Saturday I went early to the Champs Elysee for a Nike clinic and then did a charity exhibition with a good friend of mine, Juan Monaco. After that there was an interview with Mary Jo Fernandez for ESPN Magazine. But of course my most important job has been to practice, and there has been a lot of that! I always try to schedule the other activities around practice.

So it's been a busy lead-up to Roland Garros, where I am hoping to defend my title. Please keep reading my blog this week. I hope to make my next post on Monday night after my first match.

Rafa