Rafael Nadal: “I Was Crying in the Locker Room” After Australian Open Loss [Video]

February 9th, 2011

Rafael Nadal: “I Was Crying in the Locker Room” After Australian Open Loss [Video]
by Tom Gainey

On his website, Rafael Nadal says he’s now set to resume training on the tennis courts. The World No. 1 has been inactive since injuring a thigh muscle early in a shocking loss to David Ferrer at the Australian Open quarterfinals last month.

Nadal, who was in Barcelona with girlfriend Francisca “Xisca” Perello for promotion of the April event, opened up about his Australian Open setback and a missed chance at history.

“I was crying in the locker room. I [hated that I had] to go out of the tournament,” Rafa said Tuesday. “Last year, I had to do it and it was something I didn’t want to repeat. But from the third game I knew I didn’t have a chance to win. David was playing fantastic and I wasn’t able to run enough to rise to the level to beat him.”

But Nadal was quick to say that he was ready to return to tennis.

“I feel quite good, I am going home today (Tuesday) to Manacor to begin training on the courts,” Nadal said. “I am going to start training slowly, following a plan, so that there are no setbacks.”

A day after winning the Lareaus Award, Nadal said he was looking forward to returning to the Barcelona event which he sadly missed last year because of knee problems. Also in the Barcelona field will be Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo. Tickets for the April 18th tournament go on sale on February 28.

Nadal is scheduled to play in Spain’s Davis Cup match at Belgium in three weeks.

Here’s a video report on Nadal in Barcelona (translations welcome!):

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Filed under: Australian Open, Barcelona, Davis Cup, Videos
Tags: Rafael Nadal

4 Comments for Rafael Nadal: “I Was Crying in the Locker Room” After Australian Open Loss [Video]

Skeezerweezer Says:

“I am going to start training slowly, following a plan, so that there are no setbacks.”

Hope this is a “new” plan.

February 9th, 2011 at 5:05 pm

bibi Says:

Xisca: “You know I don’t talk to the media. Thank you.”

February 9th, 2011 at 5:59 pm

scineram Says:

^It is like when Mirka talked to the media.

February 9th, 2011 at 6:42 pm

bibi Says:

This clip is from the notorious daily gossip show “Corazon”, where they talk exclusively about relationships, breakups and public appearances of Spanish celeb couples.

They have been frustrated with Rafa & Xisca, because they give them so little material, so they took advantage of their visit to Barcelona (where Rafa answered some serious questions about his resetting of the year and going back to Mallorca to train) to hound them a bit with their roving reporter and her sugary, suggestive and intrusive questions.

Xisca kindly but firmly refused to talk alltogether.

At the very end of the clip, Rafa was asked to comment on the hot topic of the moment for all pink media – the Shakira/Gerard Pique alleged relationship (Pique is a defender of the football club Barcelona and of the Spanish national team; they met during the World Cup, when she filmed Waka Waka and now she rented a house in Barcelona and their photos started to appear).

Rafa said he wished them all the best if that story is true, but that he knows nothing about it, because he never follows such things.

February 10th, 2011 at 3:12 am

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