By Chris Oddo | Tuesday January 31, 2017
It was a disappointing Australian Open final for Rafael Nadal, who held a break point in the fifth set but eventually fell to Roger Federer, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. But if Nadal was gutted he certainly didn’t give off that aura after the final—in fact he appeared to be a man very much excited about what the season might hold for him.
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Will Nadal’s surprise final appearance at Melbourne be a platform for an even bigger breakout on his beloved clay? He was asked that question by a reporter after the final.
“I cannot predict what's going on in the future,” he said. “That's always the same thing. I just think that I am playing well. I just think that I worked hard to be where I am. I believe that playing like this, good things can happen. Can happen here in this surface, but especially can happen on clay.”
Nadal had his clay season cut short in 2016 just when at tenth Roland Garros started to look like more than just a remote possibility. He had claimed big titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona and was cruising through the early rounds in Paris when he shocked the world by pulling out with a wrist injury.
This year, with renewed vigor and renewed health, Nadal hopes that the injury bug won’t bite him again. If he stays healthy—watch out.
“If I am able to play like this, to hold matches like I hold the other day, and recover well as I recovered, but on clay I recovered better than here, then the opponents don't get that many free points, and I am playing from the solid baseline. If I made that happen, I think I can keep having success in hard courts, but on clay can be special.”
The always classy Nadal was quick to point out that while the result in the final was disappointing, he had exceeded even his own expectations in Melbourne. If he can stay healthy, he can go further.
“Of course, winning an event like this is so important. For me, if I won that one, will be amazing. But the real thing is what makes me more happy, more than the titles, is go on the court and feel that I can enjoy the sport. Today I am enjoying the sport. Last year I only had the chance to enjoy the sport between Indian Wells and Madrid, because in Madrid I got injury in quarterfinals. That's the real feeling.”
The soon to be 31-year-old admits that titles are important, but more important is being healthy enough to keep up the intense practice so that he may peak at some point during the clay season—ideally in Paris.
“At this moment in my career, more than titles, for sure if I am playing here, I believe that I going to win titles. More than all these kind of things is being health enough to work the way I need to work, to fight for the things I want to fight. I'm going to keep trying to do and to work the same way.”
He was philosophical in the wake of the loss to Federer, saying that he felt blessed to own so many big wins over Federer.
“There is a winner, there is a loser,” he said. “In these kind of matches, anyone can win. Being honest, in these kind of matches, I won a lot of times against him. Today he beat me. Just congratulate him… The only thing that I can do is congratulate him and go back home with very positive feelings for me.”