Rafael Nadal, after winning again in Brisbane: "I feel competitive, which is what I wanted, then we'll see how far I can go".
ATP
Very tired after the effort in his second match after almost a year off and completely sweaty from the humidity of Brisbane, Rafael Nadal spoke on court after beating Jason Kubler and get into the quarterfinals of the Australian ATP250.
He confessed after the match that he had studied his opponent and had tried to be very aggressive at the beginning, which undoubtedly allowed him to take an advantage that Kubler had no chance to overcome at any time. His serve and backhand worked perfectly, perfectly adapted to the fast court. His forehand, as always, also did a lot of damage to his opponent:
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"I think I started the match playing very well, with great determination, I had seen videos of him playing solid at the back, and I tried to be very solid, I think it was a very positive match, playing tomorrow is very positive, winning two matches after all makes me feel very good."
He wants to get in shape before facing the Australian Open and for him just having the possibility of being able to play a third match in the first tournament after his return is great news;
"I need matches, I need to keep training well, the last 2 matches and the doubles help, winning and court time helps, for me to have the opportunity to play is good news, I feel competitive, which is what I wanted, then we'll see how far I can go."
The funny moment of the night came with Rafa trying to explain the reason why he arrived late at the start of the second set, for which he received a warning. He explained it with laughter as the crowd at the Pat Rafter in Brisbane was in raptures:
"It was a strange thing, I knew I had 5 minutes, Brisbane is very wet, I had to change everything, pee. I was being told from the walkie-talkie, I thought I was getting there on time, something happened in there to make me 4 seconds late, 'I know I'm slow and I'm going to try to improve this year."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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