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US Open, 2015
by MAC

 
There have been many, many yards of text written about Rafa's performance at this year's US Open and I do not intend to add to them. (Partly because it has all been said and partly because I am even less qualified than those who have gone before.) I'll just leave it to Rafa.

R128 - Defeated Borna Coric, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

 
Post match press conference
I think I played great. The first two sets I played a very high level of tennis. Seriously, then I get a little bit tired. I had some problems. I was sweating a lot. I lost little bit -- you know, I don't feel enough strong after that, no?

I had little bit of stomach problem so I felt not perfect, physically perfect then.

But then in the fourth I recovered little bit. I played again more aggressive. Finally was important victory for me. Happy the way that I played when I was, you know, physically good.

 
Post match press conference
Seriously, I had a great week of practice before the tournament start, no? I don't know how it going to goes, but I practiced at a very high level of tennis during the previous weeks, no? Something that was tough to arrive to that level at practice the rest of the season.

That gives me calm. That gives me confidence. I know if I'm able to keep having that feelings, I don't know here, I don't know in next tournaments, but I will have the success again. I will have the feeling that I can compete against everybody with good conditions.


 
R64 - Defeated Diego Schwartzman, 7-6(5,) 6-3, 7-5.

 
Post match press conference
I think I serve well today. My serve was working well. I think I had the match under control at the beginning playing well. Then I played a bad game with the 5-3. Then the match became a little bit more crazy, no, some ups and downs.

Today I felt that I was practicing great before the match, and yesterday, too. I felt that during the match I didn't arrive to that high level that I was practicing before.

But it's true that he played really well. Even if he had break up in the second and in the third, I think, too, I had a lot of Love-30s, 15-30s, a lot of opportunities during the whole match to have I think a more comfortable victory.

So remain a little bit more to convert more opportunities.

I didn't have an up and down today. The other day, yes. Today I didn't have an up and down. I just played a bad game with the 5-3 in the first set and then I didn't play great, but I didn't play bad. I played a normal match.

But was not an up and down like the other day. I was a single level the whole time. For moments better, for moments little bit worse, but that's not up and downs crazy like I had sometimes this year, no? Not a bad place to be.

When you play against a player that they are able to take all the risks with not much pressure, so then is a little bit more difficult to have the control of the point. Because if the opponent decides to hit every ball then is tougher, no?

But tennis is tougher if they playing well. Today he played well, I think, so that's it. Accept that. I fighted well. I fighted until the end.

I came back, even if I had lot of opportunities is the real thing is I was break down in both sets and I came back well to win both sets. That is an important improve for me, and I'm happy for that.

This season I lost lot of matches having amazing opportunities. I don't want to say every one now, but if you follow the sport - I believe you do - you know that I lost lot of matches this year that I shouldn't because I had lot of opportunities, no?

I was not that close to lose the match today, no? I was break down in some sets, but is important to come back and feel that mentally I am enough strong to play well when I had to play well.


 
R32 - Lost to Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6.
 
Post match press conference
He play great. It was not a match that I lost, even if I had opportunities. It’s a match that he wins.

So accept. Not happy that he played better than me, but that’s what happened. He played better than me, no? I didn’t play bad at all. I played a normal match, but not enough.

So not happy with that. But accept that he was better than me today.

I fighted until the last point all the time, good attitude. Not enough to win today. I lost a couple matches this year like this.

But the good thing is my mind allows me to fight until the end as I did during all my career. Sometimes this year I was not able to do that.

So I am happy with that. I enjoyed the crowd. Was amazing support out there. Just very special feeling be out there with that support. I enjoyed that.

I tried to fight until the last ball. I believe I did, but was not enough today.

Is another lose. Not tougher. As I tell, you know, my mind allows me to fight until the end. Is something that I was missing for a while, that feeling that I am there.

For the nerves, for the anxious that I had for a long time this season, I was not able to do it. I was not able to be fighting the way that I was fighting today. So is an improvement for me.

I take that like a positive thing and I know what I have to do. I going to work on it.


 
Post 3rd round press conference
We can be talking for one hour trying to create a reason. But the sport for me is simple, no? If you are playing with less confidence and you are hitting balls without creating the damage on the opponent that I believe I should do, then they have the possibility to attack.

I am playing with little bit less mistakes than before. I have better feelings on the ball. Now remain to have again the speed, that extra speed on the ball, on the winner.

I want the defense, defense a little bit more longer, and hit easier winners. Have been little bit tough for me to hit winners tonight.

But that’s it. Not a big story. Is just improve small things that make a big difference.

If you hit the ball a bit shorter, the opponent has more space. If you hit the ball with a little bit of less confidence, then there is not as much topspin like used to be.

If you hit shorter, you will run slower. Is not you run slower, but the opponent take the ball earlier so it looks like you are slower, no?

Is easy to understand, easy to explain, difficult to change, but I going to do it.


 
Post 2nd round press conference
I always believed that when I am playing bad, when I am not winning, you don't have to find excuses outside or reasons outside. You have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, That's my fault. That's the real thing. It's not the fault of other people.

I had an amazing career with this team. I believe in my team. We are working a lot to find the right way. I think we are in the good way.

I don't know what's going on in the future, but the real thing is if I have to change something is myself, not the people around me. If I am able to change myself, to play again with confidence, to play again with less nerves that I played for a lot of moments this year, I am able to touch the ball the way that I am touching the ball this week of practice before the US Open, I will be again where I want to be.

So is not a question of coach. Is not a question of physiotherapist or physical trainer. Is a question of myself. I am really decided to work hard to find my way.

I understand all the time what happened, no? When you are hitting a forehand and you don't have the tempo to hit the forehand. If you want to hit the forehand here and you hit the forehand here, or you want to hit the forehand here and you hit here, it's because you don't have the mentally relax. You are not enough relax in your mind to do what you used to do.

So if I have nerves, is not the problem of my coach. If I have nerves, is the problem of myself. If I am playing bad, is the same.

During the season I feel that that nerves goes down, so I think I am at the end of all these processes that I had. With the work, with the talks with my team, with the determination to improve something, I think I am at the end of that process.

If is not 100% result, is close to be forget that nerves. Still there, but much less than few months ago. And now remain to keep competing, play well, and be passionate. I believe things are going to arrive well.


 
Post 2nd round press conference
I am No. 8 in the world. I am not No. 100.

I don't know. Seems like I am No. 200 in every press conference. I am not so bad. After I arrive here with the victory, I come back to the locker room saying how bad I am. Every day.

No, no, the fans, is normal that they are worried because I am worried, too. If I am not playing well, I am the first one who am worried.

You know, seems like I come here, and seems like if I am saying the true, if I am being honest, is bad. So then if I am being honest with you guys and I explain what happened to me, I explain if I playing with nerves or with anxious like I did in Miami and I say after in the press conference, then I don't know what you want of me.

And not telling about you. But in general, the people say, Why you say that? Why you are that honest? You give confidence to the opponent.

I believe what happens outside the court, what we are talking about here don't gonna affect zero percent in the next result.

The thing is you play well you have chances to won; you play bad, you gonna lose the sport is simple.


 
Post 3rd round press conference
By the way, for me was amazing win 10 years in a row Grand Slam. I think nobody did. You can imagine how difficult is make that happen.

Accept that was not my year and keep fighting till the end of the season to finish in a positive way for me. Finish the season with the feeling that I improved something from the beginning of the season. That’s something that I think I am doing.

I think I have a good base now. As I said, good thing is I am not playing terrible matches like I did at the beginning of the season. When I am losing, I am losing because the opponents beat me, not because I lose the match, as I did a lot of times at the beginning of the season.

That’s an improvement for me, so I have a base now. That is a start. I know what I have to do and I going to work on it.

Siempre contigo, Rafa
¡Vamos!