Injuries made me appreciate every moment, says Nadal

Rafael Nadal was asked on what place of history he would put himself. The Spaniard, as quoted by AS, replied: “I am inside it but I do not know on which stage. I am not the one who should say it. The people who understand the history of this sport should do it.

I will not be the one who puts himself in one place or the other.”

Nadal continued: “Having had many injuries in my career, I never knew if every win was one of the last. Now the logical thing is that being at a late age the chances will be less. Injuries made me appreciate every moment.”

His coach Carlos Moya said that if he were to go through a bad moment, he would put his life in Nadal’s hands. “He’d better not do it,” Nadal joked.

“I can lose, but I will never stop fighting.

On it, I normally do not make mistakes. In other things, technique-wise and tennis-wise, I can make mistakes but I mentally try not to allow myself to make mistakes. Because that’s what makes me go back home calmly. I play for my history,” he said on the race to be the GOAT.

“We three (Federer, Djokovic and him) are doing something that had never been done. For me, it’s a big satisfaction to be part of this battle but I cannot see it this way inside me because I would be wrong.

“Otherwise, you go through pressure all day that would not make me be happy the way a person who had the luck to achieve what I achieved deserves to. The ambition is good but when it’s too much, it’s not good.”

What happened to Rafael Nadal when he was leading two sets to love and a break up in the third set against Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final on Sunday? After that, the Russian came back and took it to a fifth.

Jim Courier, a four-time Major winner, said: “It got complicated. Medvedev just pulled the rabbit out of the hat, got right back into it. We all thought that going into this match he would fade physically if not emotionally from the pressure in the way to the expectation but he just kept coming, his backhand was so good, his tactics were amazing, there were so many serve and volleys, he kept this match alive, the crowd got behind him because they wanted to see more tennis.

I am not sure what was a better match between the Wimbledon final and this one. I would edge slightly towards Wimbledon was right in the upper drawer.” Former Roger Federer’s coach Paul Annacone added: “It’s amazing.

You always wonder what’s going to happen with a young player when they get in a situation like this match. This guy had run 13 miles and Nadal just seven heading into the final in this tournament. He kept fighting, it was incredible.
I never thought I would see someone at this stage in his career able to end the environment like Medvedev did.” Sandra Bernhar: “This man is soulful and a true champion @RafaelNadal took it to the limit tonight @usopen #19 incredible inspiring.”

• Culled from tennisworldusa.org.