Rafael Nadal set aside time this week for his ATP Cup and Australian Open preparations for a wide and candid interview with Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor. The 20-time champion was in a big mood with the court over the pandemic, his Big Three rivals, his motivations, plans for life after tennis and the secret behind his rituals on the court. Here are some of the highlights from Rafa’s interview.
The pandemic
Nadal said he looked at the whole picture of the pandemic and attributed Australia to providing a model for fighting the virus.
“The world is suffering, we can not complain,” he said. “We can only say thank you to Tennis Australia, to the Australian community, for welcoming us and for accepting us to come, because I know they have been under very strict measures for many months, so it is good for us that we can at least keep playing tennis. ‘
The Mallorcan said the pandemic hit him near the house. “You see how many are dying around the world,” he said. ‘You see how many people lose their father, their mother, without taking the chance to say goodbye … This is what is happening in my country. Close people for me suffer from this situation.
Nadal said he understands how happy he and other tennis players are, especially in a time like this. “I feel that today we are privileged people who have the opportunity to continue to do our job,” he said.
Competition and motivation
Amanpour questioned Nadal about his rivals and insisted he was not ‘obsessed’ with Federer’s embezzlement in the title.
“The records are important, I’m a competitor, but I’m never been obsessed with being the best,” Nadal, no. 2, on the FedEx ATP rankings. “I’ve done a lot more in my tennis career than I ever dreamed of. It would be amazing for me to win another one and be at the end of my career to be the player with more Grand Slams, but it’s not. “The key to my happiness in the future is not an obsession.”
The Spaniard said he had good relations with Federer and Novak Djokovic, which motivated him to excel. “We did beautiful things together and important things for our sport,” he said. “We push each other to be better. Having someone in front of you who does much better than you does gives you a clear way on what you need to improve to achieve your goals. ‘
Plans
Amanpour playfully told Nadal, ‘I know you will not tell me when you retire,’ but was interrupted by the Spaniard. “I can not tell you because I do not know,” he said laughing.
She asked him for his ‘vision’ of life after the competition, and Nadal said he was looking forward to spending more time with his foundation, the Rafael Nadal Foundation, and his academy, the Rafael Nadal Academy. And he mentions that he is looking forward to one day starting a family with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, whom he married in 2019. “If children come, there will be a change,” he said when asked how marriage has affected his career. ‘[It’s] something that is likely to happen in the future because we both want it. ‘
On the topic of children, Nadal said it is important that he and other athletes with large platforms should be role models. “I think it is obligatory to be a positive example for society,” he said. “It’s important to send the right messages to the world and especially to young people.”
Rituals and hope
The CNN correspondent admitted to Nadal that she was fascinated by his rituals and ticks in court, and the Spaniard opened up about why he would like to set up his bottles, not on the line, and so on. “Somehow it’s stupid,” he says of his rituals, blushing just a little. “On the other hand, I do not do these things for myself in practice or in normal life … It’s a way to make a difference between training and matches. When I do all these routines, I feel 100% focused on what I do, no? The routines help you to be focused and more confident about yourself. ”
Nadal, who will play an exhibition match against Dominic Thiem in Adelaide on Friday night, said he was looking forward to taking part in the ATP Cup and focusing on winning the Australian Open this year. “I like what I do, and I like the competition,” he said. ‘I know it’s not forever … I’m in the last part of my career because I’m 34 years old … I feel very happy to be where I am today and keep doing what I do. I accept it and say thank you to life for these great things that have happened to me. ”