00:00 I really think that I don't forget how to play tennis.
00:04 The only thing is it's going to be difficult to make it in a professional match and in
00:10 a very high level of tennis.
00:12 Because at the end you need to recover movement, something that takes time.
00:17 You need to recover the confidence on the movements, that takes time because at the
00:21 end after the surgery you feel scared sometimes to do a kind of movement.
00:26 Then you need to recover the speed on reading the ball and on making the things in an automatic
00:32 way.
00:33 Something that you need matches to make it happen.
00:37 To be on court and not need to think, now I need to do that, I need to do other things.
00:42 Things come automatic.
00:44 You need hours on court, hours on practice sessions but at the same time hours on professional
00:50 matches.
00:51 I am happy.
00:52 I don't know how I wake up tomorrow but I can say now I feel good.
01:01 I felt more or less free on court, that I can do the things that I need to do.
01:07 I don't finish the match with a bad feeling at all in terms of physical performance.
01:11 I always felt well when you have the people supporting.
01:17 In this moment even more.
01:22 The longer period of time without being on a professional tournament since I started
01:28 my tennis career.
01:31 It's an amazing feeling to come back and to feel the crowd supporting even more than before.
01:41 I think it's been a lot of effort from my side to try to come back in a professional
01:51 match and probably they get that point.
01:55 You've had a lot of time to focus on this one comeback match but the level that you
02:04 played at, did that surprise you because it was extremely high?
02:09 Well, I mean, anything can happen in these kind of days.
02:15 After such a long time without being in a professional tennis match you go on court
02:22 and you can't expect anything.
02:26 You can't expect amazing things but you can expect disasters.
02:32 It can happen.
02:33 You can expect a bad day and a normal and positive day and I think I have been in that
02:41 last thing, in a positive day even a little bit more.
02:45 I have been playing solid without making a lot of mistakes in terms of enforcing errors
02:52 but in terms of making bad decisions.
02:55 I think I didn't make a lot of bad decisions choosing the shots that I have to play.
03:01 It's something difficult after such a long time, something that I'm happy with.
03:06 You said in the lead up to this that you weren't putting big expectations on yourself or anything.
03:12 You spoke about just then there were some things you were really pleased with.
03:15 Did you tick off all the boxes that you wanted to tonight in your first game back and what's
03:20 next in your progression in the lead up between now and the Australian Open that you want
03:24 to see in your game?
03:26 I have been honest and for me nothing changed.
03:30 It's only a positive start.
03:35 It's just one match after a year that I played I think quite well honestly.
03:45 If we take all the circumstances that have been before that match, it has been a very
03:55 positive match but it's just a match.
04:02 The most important thing today is to stay healthy honestly.
04:10 My way to approach that didn't change at all after this match.
04:17 My way to approach it is to try to enjoy every single day that I have the chance to be on
04:23 court.
04:25 If I am able to play more matches it will be more helpful in terms of recovering things
04:31 that of course you need to recover if you want to be competitive.
04:37 For me my goal is still medium term, in a couple of months to try to be competitive
04:44 again.
04:45 Now if I am competitive, fantastic.
04:47 That is something that for me is going to be a big surprise if I am competitive in a
04:54 good level.
04:55 Let's see.
04:56 Day by day.
04:57 Today is a positive day.
04:58 Let's see after tomorrow.
05:01 Rafi said it was an emotional time for you tonight.
05:05 Can you take us into just before the match?
05:07 Did it feel familiar?
05:08 Were there some different nerves than you're used to?
05:13 How was it in the tunnel before the match?
05:16 I think it's something very easy to explain.
05:18 When you are doing things that you are not used to do you have more nerves than usual.
05:27 When you are doing a thing almost every day you know more or less what's going on.
05:34 You can play a little bit better, a little bit worse, but you have a standard that you
05:39 know you're going to reach that level.
05:42 In that case it's a combination of things.
05:45 First thing, the emotions to be back on court after a long time and after a very tough process.
05:50 Second thing, the doubts about your physical performance.
05:59 And third thing, it's about you go on court.
06:02 I know I have been practising OK last week.
06:06 Practising I think at a positive level.
06:09 You go on court and you have the doubts if you're going to go there and it's going to
06:15 be a disaster.
06:17 Because it can happen, honestly.
06:18 It's not a thing that I am saying here to protect myself at all.
06:23 I don't need it.
06:24 I am not here to use any excuse at all.
06:28 I know what's going on.
06:30 Myself, people who have been next to me knows how I felt one month and a half ago.
06:38 I am talking with a hand on the heart, being very honest with all of you.
06:45 So it's normal that you go on court and you have more nerves than usual because you really
06:51 at the end, you hope that you're going to play at a decent level.
06:55 But inside yourself you know that can be a disaster.
06:58 And that of course worried me.
07:01 Rafa, you have a lot of experience unfortunately, missing a lot of time and coming back.
07:07 And it's still very difficult for you.
07:10 My question is about your opponent tonight, Dominic.
07:12 He's been trying for two years to come back to his best level.
07:16 Not your job as his competitor to help him.
07:18 But do you have any advice or any encouragement that you can offer to him to just hang in
07:24 there and maybe things will turn around for him?
07:27 Well I think for him, having a tough beginning after the injury.
07:33 That makes the things very difficult for him I think at the beginning.
07:37 Because I don't know if when he came back he was healthy enough to play, to feel himself
07:45 playing free.
07:47 And that probably affected him a lot at the beginning, losing a lot of matches in a row.
07:52 So then it's tough to recover the confidence.
07:54 It's not only recover your level of tennis, it's about recovering the confidence.
07:59 So I think the last year has been a positive year for him because after a tough period
08:04 of time he was able to come back to the top 100, something that is not easy.
08:10 And I think he started the year again with the ambition to make a positive year and to
08:19 finish the year with a much higher ranking.
08:21 That I think is something that should happen if he's healthy now.
08:25 I think the first set he has been playing at a very good level of tennis.
08:32 I think if he's able to win matches and to recover the confidence in himself, I don't
08:42 see him being in a ranking close to 100.
08:46 I see him in a much higher ranking, honestly.
08:50 Is the challenging thing for you now, Rafa, being able to play as well as that in the
08:54 next round and the day after that, given that you haven't played for a year, just the cumulative
08:59 effect of all of these matches on your body?
09:04 The first thing, and I repeat it, is to stay healthy.
09:07 If I am able to stay healthy, I am able to practice at the level that I need to practice.
09:13 If I am able to play matches, feeling myself ready to play the match.
09:20 Then the chances to be competitive in a not very long period of time are much higher.
09:31 If after tomorrow you go on court and you have problems, then the process is much tougher.
09:39 For me, the main thing is to stay healthy.
09:44 I really think that I don't forget how to play tennis.
09:47 I think it's going to be difficult to make it in a professional match and in a very high
09:53 level of tennis.
09:55 Because at the end, you need to recover movement, something that takes time.
10:00 You need to recover the confidence in the movements.
10:02 That takes time, because at the end, after the surgery, you feel scared sometimes to
10:07 do a kind of movement.
10:08 You need to recover the speed on reading the ball and on making the things in an automatic
10:15 way, something that you need matches to make it happen.
10:20 To be on court and not need to think, "Now I need to do that.
10:23 I need to do other things."
10:24 Things come automatic.
10:27 You need hours on court, hours on practice sessions, but at the same time hours on professional
10:33 matches.
10:34 I don't know what can happen.
10:35 Today is a day to be happy.
10:37 It's a happy day for me.
10:40 I have a day of tomorrow to keep practicing.
10:42 I am excited to have the chance to play another time.
10:47 That's for me the most important thing.
10:51 How does your body feel after that?
10:53 You're probably still not entirely cooled down, but were there any tweaks that bothered
10:57 you or everything goes as expected?
11:01 I am happy.
11:02 I don't know how I wake up tomorrow, but I can say now I feel good.
11:10 I felt more or less free on court, that I can do the things that I need to do.
11:17 I don't finish the match with a bad feeling at all in terms of physical performance.
11:25 I feel good.
11:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]
