Pour le grand retour de Rafael Nadal chez lui, sur la terre battue parisienne, les fans du tennis auront droit à une affiche de rêve dès le premier tour. Le tirage au sort a réservé une drôle de surprise à l'Espagnol, mais aussi à Alexander Zverev, n°4 mondial. L'Allemand va retrouver le maître des lieux, deux ans après leur mythique demi-finale interrompue après 3h de jeu suite à la blessure de Zverev. Si le Majorquin n'est sans doute pas ravi de ce tirage, lui qui espérait monter en puissance sur la terre battue parisienne, il "s'y attendait" selon ses mots, n'étant pas tête de série, mais simplement le 276e joueur mondial.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:02 Hello.
00:09 [INAUDIBLE]
00:10 [INAUDIBLE]
00:11 Hello, everyone.
00:12 Please, no filming.
00:14 Rafa, welcome back to Roland Garros.
00:16 When did you find out about your first-round opponent,
00:18 and what was your reaction?
00:22 Well, I was playing some parchees.
00:25 And yeah, at some point, somebody tell me the draw.
00:31 I mean, the reaction is--
00:33 I mean, something that I expected in some way.
00:36 When you are not seeded, anything can happen.
00:40 So that's part of the business when you are not seeded.
00:45 In my case now, I just accept.
00:50 That's the thing.
00:53 You never know what's lucky or unlucky.
00:55 Of course, on the paper, it's not the best draw.
01:01 I play against one of the toughest opponents possible.
01:06 And at the same time, he came here winning the last event.
01:11 And he's a Master 1000.
01:12 He's not a small one.
01:15 So just, yeah, what can I do?
01:18 That's the draw.
01:19 Just try to be ready for it.
01:21 [LAUGHTER]
01:23 Hi, Rafa.
01:27 Hello.
01:29 When did you decide for sure to play here this time?
01:34 You had said you had some doubts in Rome.
01:38 And have you decided for sure whether this
01:42 will be your final French Open?
01:45 Because everybody is assuming it will be.
01:47 But I don't know if you've decided that for sure.
01:51 No, I don't assume that.
01:54 I mean, I said in Rome after the press conference,
01:58 have been a little bit of misunderstanding in some way.
02:01 But I say that my feelings, even after that tough match,
02:06 was that I had been improving in some ways,
02:09 in terms of physical issues.
02:11 So my goal was--
02:13 my reaction was I wanted to play here.
02:16 Then I needed to check how I felt the days after in different
02:28 matters, in terms of tennis, in terms of mentality,
02:33 and in terms of physical issues.
02:37 So of course, immediately, I didn't
02:40 want to say in the press conference,
02:42 immediately, you have the feeling
02:45 that I did a disaster in Rome.
02:49 So you feel, OK, I need to play Roland-Garros to do it better.
02:53 But at the same time, I wanted to wait a couple of days,
02:59 give me some time to see how I feel in all the matters
03:05 that I told you.
03:06 And I felt better.
03:08 I felt ready.
03:09 Mentally, I was with the right motivation to be here.
03:15 And physically, I feel better, honestly.
03:17 I am improving in different ways.
03:22 I have less limitations than three or four weeks ago,
03:26 without a doubt.
03:29 And in terms of if that's going to be my last Roland-Garros,
03:32 it's a long answer.
03:33 But I think I need to answer that,
03:35 because we're going to avoid future questions
03:38 since the beginning.
03:40 So I'm going to do it.
03:45 As I said, it's a big, big chance
03:48 that's going to be my last Roland-Garros.
03:50 But if I have to tell you it's 100% my last Roland-Garros,
03:55 sorry, but I will not.
03:56 Because I cannot predict what's going on.
04:01 And I hope you understand myself.
04:05 I have been going through a long process of recovery
04:10 with a very difficult injury, almost two years of suffering,
04:15 a recovering process that seems like I feel better now.
04:23 I am not a guy that reacts because I lost there
04:27 or I lost in the other place.
04:28 No one reacts about my personal feelings.
04:31 And my personal feelings are better now
04:33 than one month and a half ago, without a doubt.
04:36 So in some way, I don't want to close 100% the door,
04:43 because of very simple things.
04:46 First thing, I am enjoying playing tennis.
04:48 Second thing, I am traveling with the family.
04:52 They are enjoying.
04:53 I am enjoying sharing all this process with them.
04:57 And third thing, I was not able to explore yet
05:03 the proper way how I will be able to play,
05:08 being again in more or less healthy conditions,
05:12 playing without limitation.
05:13 So give me some time, maybe in one month and a half.
05:19 I say, OK, it's enough.
05:20 I can't keep going.
05:22 But today, in some way, I cannot guarantee
05:26 that that's going to be the last one.
05:28 But of course, it's a big chance.
05:31 Rafa, given how special this place is,
05:33 what emotions do you think you're going to feel this week?
05:36 And secondly, what will it feel like to have your son
05:39 watching you at this special place play tennis?
05:41 No, I don't think he is not watching me.
05:45 I think he doesn't realize nothing yet.
05:47 So I just enjoy every time that I have the chance
05:55 to be around here.
05:56 I am feeling an amazing support of the people.
06:01 That gives me a lot of power.
06:06 And emotionally, it's something that
06:08 is going to stay with me forever.
06:11 And yeah, I am having a good week of practices.
06:15 I probably will say it's the first week
06:18 since I come back playing tennis that I
06:21 am able to run the proper way without having
06:26 a lot of limitations.
06:28 And that encourages me.
06:29 I mean, of course, that does not mean
06:35 that I'm going to be out there on Monday
06:36 and I'm going to play incredible.
06:38 No, I think it's going to be something very difficult
06:40 to make that happen, because I didn't have under my shoulders
06:45 enough moments to play at that highest level.
06:49 But in some way, this place is magical for me.
06:53 So it happened a lot of times, things
06:56 that were difficult to imagine.
07:00 So if in the bottom of my heart, I
07:04 don't have any hope to have success here
07:09 and to create a beautiful thing this year,
07:12 I will not be here in front of you guys.
07:14 So I'm still having the motivation.
07:19 And a small, but at least it's a small hope to play well.
07:25 Rafa, it's unusual to see the top players playing
07:28 the week before a Grand Slam.
07:29 I think I'm right in saying you've never played
07:31 a tournament the week before.
07:32 I did, but a super long time ago.
07:34 Sorry for not realizing.
07:36 Can you just talk about whether you've ever
07:38 considered, when you're struggling for formal fitness,
07:40 whether you've ever considered playing the week before Roland
07:43 Garros?
07:43 And if not, why not?
07:44 For example, Novak's playing this week,
07:46 and we're surprised to see that.
07:48 I want to be here before.
07:52 That's the main reason.
07:53 I mean, I don't think playing Geneva or Lyon
07:58 going to make a big difference on what can happen here.
08:03 Doesn't matter in some way.
08:05 And I prioritize the practices here.
08:09 First of all, what moves myself today is the motivation.
08:16 And I do the things that still give myself
08:27 positive vibes, positive emotions.
08:30 And practice here one week before
08:32 is giving me a lot of things that the other two events will
08:37 not give me internally.
08:39 So that's, for me, the main thing,
08:40 more than other stuff.
08:41 Just about personal feelings and emotionally.
08:46 Hi, Rafa.
08:47 You talked quite a bit about limitations
08:49 and that you've been able to remove
08:51 some of those limitations, as in moving better.
08:53 Are there other things that are holding you back right now?
08:56 And how have you progressed overall,
08:57 training-wise, since Rome?
09:01 I was practicing better in Rome, too.
09:02 Then I was not able to show on court.
09:05 No, but in terms of-- obviously, not showing.
09:10 [LAUGHTER]
09:13 I mean, it's a different tournament.
09:14 It's a different feeling completely.
09:19 But I progressed.
09:23 In the practices, without a doubt,
09:24 I improved, especially in terms of movements.
09:30 So I don't feel the limitations that I
09:33 felt in Rome in terms of running both sides.
09:37 So that's a lot for me.
09:39 I mean, not only about thinking in terms
09:44 of having an amazing result here,
09:46 but thinking about give myself a little bit more room
09:51 to think about what can happen in the future.
09:54 Hi, Rafa.
09:58 You said this was a magical place.
10:00 Has just being here made your body feel better?
10:04 Has it had an effect on--
10:06 I mean, just in terms of being comfortable,
10:10 or in the way that your opponent on Monday
10:13 once said that when you come here, you hit the ball harder?
10:16 No, unfortunately not.
10:17 It's not that magic.
10:19 But I am feeling better.
10:24 That's the truth.
10:25 Not because I'm here, probably because we did things
10:31 to try to feel better.
10:32 And we have been working without a stop
10:37 to keep going with the process to try to arrive here
10:43 in a proper way.
10:44 Then, of course, the process have been not the ideal one.
10:48 I wanted to have that process months ago
10:50 and start with the feeling that I have today.
10:55 In Monte Carlo, you can't manage what you can't manage.
11:00 The things went like this.
11:02 And here we are.
11:03 And I am grateful that I am able to be in Roland-Garros
11:07 and give myself a chance to play at least one more time here.
11:12 Maybe the last one.
11:13 Maybe not.
11:14 But let's explore.
11:20 I mean, I can't.
11:24 I hope to be clear.
11:25 I mean, I don't want to create a big confession.
11:27 But I am enjoying what I am doing.
11:30 And sorry, but I am feeling competitive on the practices.
11:35 Probably not yet on the professional matches.
11:39 But yeah, on the practices, I can tell you.
11:44 I am able to play almost against anyone.
11:48 And I don't feel much worse than the others.
11:50 So that's giving me some hope.
11:51 Yeah.
11:53 Hey, Rafa.
11:54 Rafa here.
11:55 Whether or not this is your last Roland-Garros,
11:57 all the fans and the players have
11:59 talked about how thankful they are for what
12:01 you've done for the sport.
12:02 Is there anything you'd like to say to them as well?
12:06 No, I just can't say thanks.
12:08 I saw some things.
12:09 I just can't say thanks to all the love
12:12 that I received from the players, from the organizers,
12:16 from the tournaments, from all the community of tennis
12:20 and sport.
12:20 I feel very proud that I live a positive legacy there.
12:30 Not only about tennis, not about probably like a human person.
12:36 So that's more important than any result
12:39 at the end of the day.
12:40 Because the results are there.
12:42 That's it.
12:43 The rest of the things, in some way,
12:46 it's something that makes me feel proud
12:49 that I am going to the places and the people
12:52 are happy to see me.
12:56 I mean, in some way, you can fake the crowd.
13:01 You can fake the people who don't know you in a diary basis.
13:06 You can create an image there.
13:08 But you can't create an image with all the people that
13:12 are working on a daily basis on the ATP tour,
13:15 on Roland-Garros, on Rome, on Madrid, on every day,
13:20 people who really know who you are
13:22 and who you are realistically, not like a tennis player,
13:26 like a human person.
13:28 So I feel very proud and happy that I am going to the places.
13:32 I feel the love of all the people
13:35 who are involved in the tournaments behind the scenes.
13:39 That's great.
13:41 I don't feel that I am the player that, OK,
13:44 I don't want to see him another time.
13:47 I feel that the people who are working on the tournaments
13:50 feel happy to watch me again.
13:52 And that's something that I enjoy.
13:55 Rafa, you seem happy with the way this week has gone.
13:58 But when you don't know what will happen,
14:01 how you will respond to a match day,
14:04 is that a little bit different to before?
14:05 And does it make a little bit anxious sometimes?
14:08 No, I am not anxious.
14:09 I am focused on trying to play well.
14:11 That's it.
14:14 It's a super tough first round.
14:16 Maybe I go there and I repeat the disaster of Rome.
14:21 It's a possibility, of course.
14:24 I am not hiding.
14:26 I don't want to hide that.
14:29 But in my mind, it's do something different
14:35 and play much better and give myself
14:37 a chance to be competitive.
14:38 Then it's going to be enough or not.
14:40 I mean, I didn't play five matches
14:42 since a super long time ago.
14:46 I didn't play at this level of opponents
14:50 being competitive since a super long time ago.
14:52 So all these questions that I understand
14:56 that you are making to me, I am asking to myself too.
15:03 But the answer is going to be on Monday.
15:05 That's it.
15:06 The rest of the things are just talking and talking
15:10 and at the end it doesn't matter.
15:12 No, it's about my feelings.
15:13 My feelings are better.
15:14 I want to enjoy that match.
15:17 It's not ideal that it's the first match
15:19 because I feel competitive to have this match later
15:23 on the tournament.
15:25 But it's how it is.
15:25 And I need to be ready since the beginning.
15:28 Let's see.
15:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]