In an exclusive interview with the British newspaper The Times, Rafael Nadal spoke about Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, the Big Three, line judges, the E1 electric powerboat racing teams, and a few other timely subjects. Here are some excperts.
“It won’t bother me at all if by the end of his career Carlos has done better than me,” Nadal said with a smile. If he were 22 again and in the final against Alcaraz this weekend , he said he “could very well lose because Carlos is an incredible player. And on grass I think he does better things than I did because he has a better serve and a better volley than I had at his age.”
The last time the big three were together was at the emotional send-off for Nadal at Roland Garros in June. They don’t have a WhatsApp group, Nadal said. “[I chat] a bit more with Federer who is in a new stage of his life — we talk every now and then.” Djokovic continues to power on at 38, reaching the last four at Wimbledon yet again. “He’s still having fun. Why would he retire?”
Nadal’s favourite on the women’s tour is Wimbledon finalist Iga Swiatek, and he thinks Emma Raducanu has a “great future”. “I think she won very early on; when she won the US Open she was very young,” he said. “There were a lot of expectations and pressure on her — it takes time to come to terms with.” The 22-year-old was spotted watching Alcaraz’s fourth-round match, fuelling rumours about a burgeoning romance. Nadal isn’t one for gossip, however. “Sorry, but I don’t get involved in those topics.”
He will, however, get involved in the ongoing debate about line judges, which has taken off after Wimbledon replaced humans with technology. It has had to apologise for a couple of errors with the system. “I preferred the old thrill when it was people who called a ball in or out and we players had the opportunity to ask to challenge the call,” he said. “As a spectator I like seeing a court with line judges.”
His wife, Maria, is eight months pregnant with their second son and he is relishing being
at home. “It’s my first summer in Mallorca ever,” he said. He’s doing regular exercise — he comes to our interview from the gym in his tennis academy in Manacor — and playing golf, but not tennis. Following decades of intense effort — there cannot be a champion who sweated so much for the sport or developed such wonderfully idiosyncratic habits before every serve — his body is slowly recovering. “After retiring I was in bad shape for a month, I practically couldn’t walk,” he said. He has had a chronic issue with his foot for many years. But now overall he is glowing. “I’m better than I could have imagined.”
To read The Times‘ full interview, ‘I’m in a different phase of life’: why Nadal is staying away from Wimbledon, click here.