"Nadal has been an inspiration for all players, he is a legend"

Streaming ATP Rome live tennis

🎾 Daniel Altmaier vs Alexander Zverev

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

Register at bet365, deposit €5 or more into your account and you will receive 100% of your eligible deposit in Bet Credits (up to €100). New customers only. Terms apply. Winnings do not include the value of Bet Credits. Maximum prizes, game restrictions, time limits and terms apply. Registration required.

The WTA 1000 Wuhan 2024 continues to point towards Aryna Sabalenka as the top candidate to lift the title this weekend. Even though this morning she had to grit her teeth to turn around an adverse score against Putintseva, the World No.2 eventually found the path to success. Already in the quarter-finals, the Belarusian went through the press conference as usual, but this time the question about Rafa Nadal's retirement was inevitable. These were her words towards the Manacor tennis player.

Comeback against Putintseva

“It was a very tough battle, Yulia always puts up great fights. I had to work very hard to achieve this victory, in the first set, everything she did went her way, no matter what I tried, so she really had me against the ropes, it was as if my opponent was everywhere. I am very happy to have been able to regroup in the second set and make that click.”

Competing against a friend

“She is my friend, which makes everything more difficult, we are both very emotional competitors. We really go through ups and downs with our emotions, as you could see today, but we still remain friends, which is good. It is important to know how to separate tennis life on the court from life outside the court with my friends. On the court, we are competitors, we are fighting for it, many times we don't behave in the best way, but we understand. Off the court, we don't carry the weight of tennis life, that is very important.”

Rafa Nadal's Retirement

“I watched his retirement video before the match, it was very emotional, I didn't cry but my eyes were moist. It is incredible what he achieved in the sport, he is an inspiration for all of us and for the next generation, for all current players. He is a legend, but everything has a beginning and an end, we will all reach that moment. I am very happy for all he was able to achieve, he is a hard worker, he had a lot of love for the sport, something that people enjoy watching. I wish him all the best in his next chapter, he is an amazing person.”

Between Psychologists and Biomechanics

“I have been working with psychologists for many years, I improved a lot thanks to them, but those who know me best are on my team, those around me. They know what to say to me, when to push me and when to hold me back. I know I can always talk to them, that's why I don't feel such a need for a psychologist. Regarding biomechanical aspects, they are part of the game and are really important, they helped me make major changes. I was forced to hire someone like Gavin to learn new things, now I am more open to these things. Now that I know how things work, when you hit a rough patch, you know exactly what to do.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Nadal ha sido una inspiración para todos los jugadores, es una leyenda”