Rafael Nadal: 'I'm a little bit strange in all of that'

Once again the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy did not bring luck to Rafael Nadal, who missed a great chance to put one of the very few trophies absent in his showcase on the board. The absences of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem, without forgetting the premature elimination of Stefanos Tsitsipas, had fueled the hopes of the Spanish phenomenon, who reached the semifinals after struggling against both Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno Busta. The 34-year-old Majorcan's race ended in front of an irresistible Alexander Zverev, deservedly victorious in two sets thanks to an impeccable performance. The number 2 in the world tried to build his opportunities, especially in the second half, but the German closed the practice with a score of 6-4 7-5, relaunching his candidacy in view of the Finals. The Bercy tournament still allowed Nadal to join the select club of players who have won at least 1000 games on the ATP tour.

Nadal on switching between his left and right hand

“It has not been not a bad tournament,” Rafael Nadal said. “I spent hours on court. Of course I wanted to win the tournament, but it's always difficult. But I had the right attitude during the whole event, I think, fighting in every match. That gave me the chance to play four matches that I think will be helpful for London. I have been there until the end against a player who is playing great on a surface that he's winning a lot,” Nadal said. “[It] has been a positive tournament for me. Of course [I am] not happy about the loss, but that's part of the game. I played against a great player, and I accept the defeat. He played a little bit better than me. Why I never won here in Paris? The surface is difficult,” Nadal acknowledged. "Generally it's my first tournament indoor. But you can't say it's not normal that I don't win a Masters 1000. Here you have the best players in the world and there's no point in losing when the opponent is better" - the former World number 1 added. In an interview with the Rolex Paris Masters team, Nadal opened up about the uniqueness of his ambidextrous skills. "For me, it's (the stroke in golf) like a backhand. I started playing golf when I was at the age of 17 or 18, and naturally I started playing with my right hand. I'm a little bit strange in all of that. I eat and play basketball with the right, I play tennis and football with the left. It's a bit strange," Rafael Nadal said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2JQUW1B