Rafael Nadal loves playing on the red clay in Monte-Carlo and Paris, but for the Mallorca native, there's nothing quite like playing in front of his home fans in Spain. The 30 year old, who won his 10th Barcelona title two weeks ago, will play for another home crown this week at the Mutua Madrid Open, the season's second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament on clay.
“I'm very well treated all around the world. Of course, I'm not treated anywhere like I am in Spain,” Nadal said on Monday during his pre-tournament press conference. “To play in front of them, for me especially, it gives me a unique feeling... It's difficult to describe how you feel when you play in front of your people, in front of your crowd, and front of people that really have been helping you in the past to win matches.”
Nadal has won four titles in the Spanish capital, with his most recent coming in 2014 when Kei Nishikori retired down 6-2, 4-6, 0-3 in the final. The past two years, Nadal has fallen to Andy Murray, in the 2015 final and in the semi-finals last year.
But Nadal arrives in Madrid after one of his best starts in years and looks set to contend for his fifth Madrid title. The Spaniard has already reached five finals this season, falling in Melbourne, Acapulco and Miami before winning his historic 10th title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell last month.
At Monte-Carlo, Nadal became the first man in the Open Era (since April 1968) to win a tournament 10 times. He also became the first player to win 50 clay-court titles, breaking his tie with Guillermo Vilas.
“I'm very happy because of the start of the year, not only because of the start of the clay season. I think in general it's been some very good months,” Nadal said. “Right now we're here for another event. We'll leave the past behind us. I'm happy for all I achieved... I think what I have achieved in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona is something great. It's very difficult to do.”
Nadal and Roger Federer's starts to the season have dominated tennis discussions around the world this year. Federer is in first place and Nadal is in second place in the Emirates ATP Race To London.
See Who's Pushing Federer and Nadal In The Race
But the Spaniard doesn't think it will be long before everyone starts talking again about the great play of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. The No. 1 and No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings have had uncharacteristically slow starts to the season.
Murray won his 45th tour-level crown in Dubai but hasn't reached another title match since that February crown. Djokovic started the season by topping Murray in Doha for his 67th career title but has struggled since as well, failing to reach a semi-final in his four other tournaments.
“Maybe they haven't had the beginning of the year that they would have wished, that's for sure. But I have no doubts they're going to be up there fighting for all of the major titles from now until the end of the year. We have to be ready for this,” Nadal said. “These things change very quickly in sport. They are different players. They are players with a higher level than maybe nearly all of the others.”
Last week, Djokovic split with his long-time team of coach Marian Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic. Before this season, Nadal made changes to his own team, adding former World No. 1 Carlos Moya to his coaching staff. The addition, evident through Nadal's positive results, has worked out well, Nadal said.
“It was something positive. Everybody is so happy with him... He's been a very good help,” Nadal said.
[ALSO LIKE]