Rafael Nadal

With Almagro, boy, that’ll be a tough match. He’s playing at a very high level right now and he hits the ball hard.

I just try to win the match by fighting for every point, and running down every ball.

You fight, you try your best, but if you lose, you don’t have to break five racquets and smash up the locker room. You can do those things, but when you’ve finished, nothing’s changed. You’ve still lost. If something positive came from that, I probably would do it. But I see only negativity.

If you are playing bad you are going to lose here, on clay, on ice, or on the beach.

I have been learning English on the road since I started when I was 15, so it is a slow process but making some progress. Now I think I am much more comfortable with my English. However, it is difficult, still, when I speak about something that is not tennis.

You know, a lot of things changed. What never changed is the illusion to keep playing tennis, the illusion to keep doing well the things, and the illusion to be in a good position of the ranking and play these kind of matches.

The eyes of some of the fans at Davis Cup matches scare me. There’s no light in them. Fixed emotions. Blind worship. Horror. It makes me think of what happened to us long ago.

I think I am a complete player. I can play well on all the surfaces. For me, the clay might be easiest, but I am not a specialist on clay.

I play each point like my life depends on it.

In your career you have a lot of good moments and bad ones. The important thing is to have enough motivation to keep working all the days with humility and trying to be a better player than before. I am going to try to continue doing this.

If you are playing bad you are going to lose here, on clay, on ice, or on the beach.

My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?

I used to wear sleeveless T-shirts all the time on court, but now I’ve got a brand new look – I’ve moved on to polo shirts. Sleeveless T-shirts give you real freedom of movement and they keep you cooler in matches, but I just thought it was time for a change.

I am going to fight for important things.

I know my serve stinks, but I was a pretty good tennis player.

I normally listen to Spanish music – well, Latin music. I like a lot of singers.

Honesty, willingness to exert oneself, friendship – all these things shaped me too.

It should not be a child’s only goal to become the best player in the world. That would be a bad, a harmful attitude.

More than anything, believe that you can win.

I’m really, really emotional.

Tennis is a psychological sport, you have to keep a clear head. That is why I stopped playing.