This has been a complicated week for me, especially at the start. Today I enjoyed playing tennis again, I lost against a top rival and I was competitive until the end, what I needed to do was play more games like this to have a chance of victory. It has been a good base for what is to come. There are some victories which hurt you and others which can help you and this is one of those.

Rafael Nadal

Categorized in : Sports

I am afraid of a lot of things. A dog. I could be afraid of a dog that's upset, for example. And on the tennis courts, maybe on the outside I look fearless, but on the inside, I'm scared. There's not one player in the world who isn't nervous before matches. Especially important matches.

Rafael Nadal

tennis player dog

What distinguishes tennis is respect for one's opponent, one's conduct on the court.

Rafael Nadal

court opponents tennis

My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same - it's to always be happy playing, it's to enjoy the game and improve always.

Rafael Nadal

motivation games numbers

Tennis is beautiful when you can see tactics, when players don't just react but are able to act and think.

Rafael Nadal

player beautiful thinking

I was shy when I was a kid, I was very shy, but now I think I've improved a lot. I can speak OK with the media and with the people. My English is still bad but I feel a little bit better now than before.

Rafael Nadal

media kids thinking

I am happy with being a tennis player and the choice I took when I was 12. But clearly, if I wouldnt have been a tennis player, I would have loved to be a soccer player. But again, I am happy with the choice I made.

Rafael Nadal

choices player soccer

Confidence is the most important thing in this sport, and the confidence from winning Wimbledon would make it easier to win the Olympics, too. Either would be very difficult, both even more-but the player who wins Wimbledon will be the favorite for the Olympics. It can happen.

Rafael Nadal

player winning sports

When one gets beaten by somebody better, one has to know how to lose with humility. Sure, I could have served better. Sure, I could have hit my forehand harder. But the truth was this was like an avalanche, and there was no way to stop it.

Rafael Nadal

avalanches humility way

For me, it is important to win titles and for that I need to work hard, stay healthy and be able to compete. The rest, I always say, it comes.

Rafael Nadal

healthy hard-work winning

He's a fantastic player and he's going to be around so much longer so I'm happy with every one I get before he takes them all

Rafael Nadal

fantastic player

Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100 per cent sure it is wrong.

Rafael Nadal

clay creating sports

Most important thing, I am not a player who win the serves because I serve aces or free points, no. When I winning a lot of serves is because I am playing well from the baseline. That's why.

Rafael Nadal

important player winning

I only ever run when there's some point to it - say, if it's in a game of tennis.

Rafael Nadal

tennis games running

My serve can get better, for sure. It's not just about serving bombs, but positioning, variation in speed, in spin.

Rafael Nadal

variation bombs get-better

I tried to find a solution to the problem that I had, tried to find a way to start playing better.

Rafael Nadal

solutions problem way

My uncle developed the training philosophy. His idea of good tennis training is basically quite simple: you must try to gain time.

Rafael Nadal

uncles simple philosophy

For me, that's the most important thing, feel myself happy when I am playing. If I am healthy and I feel myself competitive, I am happy. Then is obvious I would like to win. But I know if I am in finals of important events, the normal thing is I finally win titles.

Rafael Nadal

healthy important winning

I am satisfied the way that I am playing. Is obvious that there is always things to improve.

Rafael Nadal

obvious

A lot of times I had some problems, but I always had the passion and the personal motivation to keep going, to keep working hard, keep fighting for the things that really motivates me. That's all.

Rafael Nadal

passion motivation fighting

I don't expect never an easy match. I always expect difficult matches.

Rafael Nadal

difficult easy