World No. 1 Rafael Nadal arrives at the Mutua Madrid Open after winning his 11th titles in both Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. The Spaniard will look to make more history as he seeks a record sixth trophy in Madrid.
But first, Nadal spoke about his history at the tournament, his favourite memories at the Cája Magica and the importance of feeling the home crowd's support.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the [multi-purpose stadium] Cája Magica.
The tournament has been at the Cája Magica for 10 years?
Yes, since 2009.
Time flies. The tournament has evolved every year. In general, it's improved so much. As is the case with all new events, things needed improving after the first event. In Madrid, a lot of the time it was hard to get the clay to settle well and for it to play like your usual clay court. The first few years it was slippery, but the courts have been perfect for the past four or five years.
Since 2013, when all the courts were refurbished, the tournament has been a huge event. We are lucky to have a tournament of this calibre in Spain. We should look after it and appreciate it. Let's hope all Spanish companies continue to support the event because it sets a benchmark in Madrid and in Spain as a whole. It's true that we have had a lot of Spanish players participate throughout the years, and that helps. But it's also true that for the moment there are not as many [Spaniards] as we used to have. It's important to be aware of this. Although there aren't as many Spanish players competing for titles right now, it's still important that Spanish companies stick by this tournament.
Your victory in 2017 confirmed your status as the dominant force at the Mutua Madrid Open, with five titles at the tournament.
Last year I was playing really well. The first match against [Fabio] Fognini was a turning point. The first day, you always experience some difficult feelings; playing at altitude, playing at home… you arrive ready to do well but then things become a little more complicated as the week goes on. I got through that match with Fognini and I found my rhythm from there. I started off losing the final against [Dominic] Thiem, but when you go into a match feeling positive and with momentum, the reality is that you have more outs and ways to win because you have that confidence, and things just click.
You had suffered seven consecutive defeats to Novak Djokovic, one of your toughest opponents throughout your career, until you ended that streak by defeating him in the semi-finals in Madrid in 2017. What did you do differently that day?
It's true that I hadn't beaten Djokovic for a while, but you can kind of predict an outcome by your opponent’s form. At the same time, when you play one of the best players in history, anything can happen. On that day, I was coming in with much more momentum than him and I think that shifted things in my favour. But to be honest it was just a win, and a win is a win – I didn’t take it for more than that. It was an important victory against one of the toughest opponents of my career, but nothing more.
Although Roger Federer won't participate in the clay swing this season, you two have clashed several times in Madrid. Do you have a favourite memory?
I've played Federer several times [in Madrid] — in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Playing on clay and at altitude seems to fit his game a little bit more. Matches against him are always difficult, but in Madrid they are even more so. Those encounters were special and having them play out on my home soil is truly special. Feeling the support of the whole stadium against your biggest rival is a very unique thing.
[Manuel] Manolo Santana is considering this to be his final season as tournament director. What has he accomplished as director at the Mutua Madrid Open?
Manolo is an asset to the sport, someone who makes things happen, both in Spain and on a worldwide scale. He paved a road that a lot of people now follow. He’s a great ambassador for Madrid and for tennis in Spain as a whole. We should be grateful for all the work he has done in promoting the tournament and for also promoting our country.
We have been lucky enough that the public in Madrid, the fans, always turn out, both at [public park] Casa de Campo and in the Cája Magica. And I'll tell you something else: if there's one place in the world where I feel that the fans help me win, it’s in Madrid.
Feliciano Lopez will be taking Manolo's place in 2019.
It's a logical replacement. Feliciano has had a very long and successful career, and he is a good successor to Manolo. It's fantastic that someone who has represented us around the world is involved in the tournament. He’s a magnificent candidate. This year will be an lesson in experience for what’s to come in his next role. The fact that he brings a different perspective, one from the players, will help everyone.
Tommy Haas is director of Indian Wells; James Blake is director in Miami; Lopez will be in Madrid. Is it a positive thing for current players that former players with experience on the tour are taking charge of tournaments?
It's positive for tennis in general. It's very good that ex-players who have been important in our sport remain involved. Tennis needs more of that. Golf does it very well. There, retired professionals host their own tournaments. Jack Nicklaus has his own tournament; Arnold Palmer, who passed away recently, has another; Tiger Woods has one in Albany (Bahamas)… it’s very positive. It needs to start happening more in tennis because it is significant in terms of promotion. I think it's great that Feliciano is there and that there might be more legends of our sport involved in the future.
There are many representatives of the #NextGenATP wave such as Alexander Zverev, Denis Shapovalov, Frances Tiafoe and Andrey Rublev who threaten to occupy the top spots that you and your peers occupy now.
They’ll occupy the top spots, either because they overtake us or because we get too old, which is also a possibility. Are they good enough? Yes, of course they are. Are we going to have another generation like that of Federer, Djokovic and myself? I don't know. Let’s be realistic. We're in a generation where Federer has won 20 Grand Slams, I have 16, Djokovic has 12… and that’s in the span of a single generation, even if Federer is a little older than us. Having all those wins in one generation is very unlikely. Topping that won’t be easy, but a lot of talent is coming through. [Nick] Kyrgios, [Alexander] Zverev, [Denis] Shapovalov, [Frances] Tiafoe… they have a lot of talent. Some of them have shown that more than others. But when it comes to being consistent and winning a lot, it’s a matter of their ability to tackle the mental aspect of these challenges.
What about the next wave of young Spaniards?
It all depends. In sports, there’s always one thing that prevails over the other. There are people who have talent, but there are others who have the capacity to improve. And those who have the capacity to improve are normally the ones who have the best chance to reach the next level. [Nicola] Kuhn, [Alejandro] Davidovich, [Jaume] Munar… it's always the same story. Guys like that don’t rest on their laurels; they wake up every morning looking forward to train.
I don't use the word 'work' because I have never taken this as a job, and I think that it is a mistake to see it like that, even when you get up there in age. You have to approach practice, no matter your age, with the goal to improve. It’s the players who want it most that produce the results in the long run.
You’ve often said that your goal is to be happy.
It’s also to win, let’s be honest. But, yes, basically my goal is to be happy.
This year you were injured for nearly three months. How does that make you feel?
Those were difficult times. I feel like, because of injury, I’ve missed out on a lot of important chances in my career. One time, I actually counted all the majors in which I was not able to compete under normal circumstances and it amounted to a lot. When something happens to you in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and it comes between you and the win – and you’ve got a good chance of reaching the final and going all the way, even if it’s against someone the likes of Federer... then of course, it hurts. It takes a toll. I went back home, did everything I could to recover, flew to Acapulco and the day before my opening-round match, I got injured again and had to withdraw from Indian Wells and Miami — two tournaments that, historically, I’ve performed well at. It felt unpleasant, but I had to weather that storm and move forward.
You must have a lot of patience?
Yes, but it also depends on the type of injury. There are some that allow me to play golf, go diving or do other things — in that case, it’s different. You are injured so you can't play tennis, but at the same time you can distract yourself by doing other things. With this [pelvis] injury, I couldn't do anything. I spent my time at my training academy attending meetings. It was good for me to get up to date on some day-to-day things. I was patient and had the right attitude to try and return to the clay season as fit as possible.
- Story reprinted with permission of the Mutua Madrid Open