Munar: "I realized I couldn't be a better player if I didn't improve on fast courts"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 12 Feb 2026 | 15.47

Munar: "I realized I couldn't be a better player if I didn't improve on fast courts". Photo: Getty Images

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The indoor hard courts are back, and with them, a great version of Jaume Munar. The Mallorcan, who took a step forward last year in his tennis, especially on these types of surfaces. It was evident at the end of the last season and also at this ATP Rotterdam 2026, where he defeated the always tough Karen Khachanov by 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3.

Despite his strong performance in the Dutch tournament so far, Munar doesn't quite feel comfortable with such heavy and slow conditions. He stated this in comments gathered by Punto de Break, reporting from Rotterdam with Diego Jiménez, where he also discussed his tennis and mental change from last year, as well as the controversy surrounding Arthur Fils and the minor changes introduced in 2026.

Jaume Munar analyzes his significant change made in 2025

"The reality is that I have improved a lot. And the reality is that in the roadmap that both my team and I have, there are many things we are going to enhance. It's true that these won't be such significant changes anymore, and at first glance, as a spectator, you won't see them as much. But I believe there are aspects I can improve, especially in match situations."

"Being a bit braver in certain moments. Now I manage to be very brave, but many times the beginnings of sets are more challenging for me than the endings. That's what I need to improve to take another step. I don't think there will be a huge change, simply small improvements that I am sure will come."

Was tired of not progressing in the rankings

"I saw this at the end of 2022 and 2023, that I had the feeling of being, so to speak, stuck in a place I didn't like, around 70th or 80th in the rankings; I always ended up playing in some challengers at the end of the year, etc. And I was no longer pleased with that because I had been doing it for many years. I have enormous respect for everyone who is even further down in the rankings because this is very tough. But personally, I wanted to take a step further."

"But taking a step further was a matter of watching videos, seeing yourself play and realizing that you couldn't become a better player if you didn't play better on fast surfaces, if you didn't have weapons to outplay those who were better from the baseline at that time. It was relatively easy, yet very difficult, because it took me many years. But when you truly have a clear desire from within to be better, you have no choice but to be consistent and push yourself to excel. That's what both I and my team did, really pushing me forward."

A lot of excitement for this 2026

"Now I see myself improving, I don't know until when. Now, honestly, I say I don't know how far I will go because I don't know where my limits will be, surely they will come. But the excitement persists. It's a challenging year for me because I have to prove to myself that what I did last year, I have the level to do it. I think I've started well. The reality is that with a lot of excitement, more about solidifying myself at this level than reaching a higher level. The passion for the game is tremendous."

Understanding Arthur Fils' words when he said he doesn't see any tennis

"I am six or seven years older than Arthur, and I have also gone through phases similar to what he is experiencing. I understand that when you come from a very complicated physical situation, where you have practically dedicated the last few years of your life to tennis and realize that you are very limited physically, it becomes more of a barrier you place between tennis and yourself for emotional well-being."

"I highly doubt he's a person who really doesn't like tennis. He is in a specific moment where perhaps he feels that way and believes that watching tennis hurts him more than it helps. From my point of view, I have also been through these phases, not of not watching tennis, but of watching less. In my case, I am quite obsessed: for my own development as a player, I watch a lot of repeated videos, I am quite analytical. Personally, I enjoy it; when I'm at home, I watch tennis, when I'm on the circuit, I watch tennis."

It is a complementary part of my work. Scouting is good to do, but for me, it's mainly passion, a desire to play, and as long as it remains so, I will be here. The day I no longer feel excited about being in the world of tennis, I will probably step away. But as of today, I know I have the drive.

Not enjoying the conditions of the Rotterdam court

"The truth is that the conditions here are tough. With this ball, the sensation is a bit peculiar. In the first three games, it feels like it's flying and fast, and then suddenly it becomes very, very slow. Once you get into the rally, it's true that both Karen and I serve well. So we sort of mask the slowness of the court with quite a few serve plus one, return plus one points. But the reality is that once you're into the rally, it's very slow and challenging to create space."

"It's difficult to get spin to widen the court. So you end up quite stuck in the center of the court, making the rallies very long. Personally, I don't like it much because I prefer to use spin. Here, topspin hardly works, slice doesn't work that well either. It does help slow down the game, but not much more. Personally, I don't enjoy these conditions. I prefer a slightly livelier game. Obviously, without going to courts that are too fast, as we've seen in previous years. But I think here the game's quality diminishes a bit in the sense that the variability decreases," concludes Jaume Munar, awaiting Alexander Bublik or Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarterfinals of the ATP Rotterdam 2026.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Munar: "Me di cuenta de que no podía ser mejor jugador si no mejoraba en pistas rápidas"