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Absent from competition since June 28th, Rafael Nadal told L'Equipe and the Daily Mail that he does not know yet what will be the date of his return.
As for his return to the Davis Cup final held (in fact denying false rumors of playing with Marc Lopez in the doubles in Prague):
"I do not know if I will be competitive to the end, my goal is to start next season in perfect condition in Doha and the Australian Open. Today I'm not ready to return. I have not picked up a racket but I work hard every day. I must first heal completely, be fully recovered before deciding where and when to return. I do not want to go back with some doubts about my condition. All I think about is to work hard before returning. I can not think of the future because it's not like a broken arm and then know with certainty all of the steps you can take to return, in this case, one day after another. I control every day to evaluate my progress. "
Everything seemed to be going well until the seventh triumph in Paris, then the accident:
"It 's been a mistake to play Wimbledon? Perhaps, but when you're playing well you do not want to stop for any reason. At Roland Garros I played thanks to the anti- inflammatory, I felt so much pain. Later then everything got worse. My workouts pre-Wimbledon were terrible. I played the first round, otherwise would not have been possible. This does not help the knee. I had a feeling I've played through a lot of pain as other people do. The problem is when you're running and you start to think about how to place the leg to avoid problems it becomes impossible to compete under these conditions. Renouncing the Olympics was very difficult, the sadness was felt. I had the opportunity to carry the flag. Also withdrawing from the U.S. Open was not easy but I think that we have another chance in the future... while the Olympic Games are played every four years. I'll work hard to be in Rio. The defeat against Rosol? That day I did not play tennis, there were not conditions.”
Nadal said he was 'not surprised by Murray's victory at the U.S. Open':
"I have said many times in the press conference that Andy would have won a Grand Slam and now he has done it. He deserves it more than anyone else. I'm happy for him . This victory will help him in the future. When you win tournaments you get more confidence and it’s more easy to repeat."
Physical problems are also caused by playing often on hard surfaces that stress the joints:
"I can not pretend that you do not play a lot on hard courts because two out of four Grand Slam play on this surface, but there is an error in our sport. You do not see athletes who make rapid movements play on hard surfaces, an example is the players or basketball players. This is something that will not change neither for me nor for my generation. Hardcourts are detrimental to the body. The sport has now become a business for which the hard courts are easier to build than a clay court or grass, but I'm 100% convinced that it is a wrong choice. Maybe I should play more on the ground but there are not many options. "
Latest jokes about poker, a great passion for the Spaniard:
"Poker is a game where you have to be fully focused all the time. But what I like is that it is different from other card games. It's not just luck, it is a lot of strategy. You can influence others at the table, think, and implement a game plan. Poker can be professional (Mayolas Isaac Vega is the Spanish world champion heads-up in 2006). I learn every day. For now, just play with friends, it's just a hobby. I like to play aggressive, but I'm not a kamikaze! I like to keep my self-control to handle situations."
For those wishing to challenge Rafa .. Pokerstars has set up a special online tournament. The winner will fly to Mallorca just to play, of course, only with cards, against the Spaniard.
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