00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30Juste, give us your thoughts about these three incredible things that have happened.
00:37Yeah, exactly. It was a busy day yesterday and a very nice, wonderful day.
00:42As you mentioned, obviously winning a 100 title, that is a nice milestone of course.
00:51Definitely much needed for my game and confidence level coming into Roland Garros.
00:57Then coming here yesterday with memories of the locker room celebration last year after Olympic gold, of course.
01:06But primarily to celebrate Rafa's career and Rafa's achievements in this tournament.
01:12So it was a beautiful moment, really one of the nicest moments I've experienced on this court.
01:19Really walking into the court with Feather and Murray alongside and being there for Nadal.
01:26And experiencing all the glory of the yesterday's celebration of his career, you know, we were all happy for him because he absolutely deserved it.
01:37And I felt like, you know, last year's Roland Garros, you know, he didn't know whether he was the last one or not.
01:45And then I didn't feel like he was getting a proper farewell even in the Davis Cup.
01:52So I think this was very fitting, a good buy for such a legend.
01:57Hi Novak, obviously you saw Andy yesterday quite soon after ending your partnership.
02:08Was that a bit funny or odd? And did you crack any jokes about the fact that you then went and won a title?
02:14He did. He did. He did.
02:19You know, we joked around a little bit about his dress code yesterday because I never saw him dress up so well.
02:29And so we kind of joked around and, you know, talked a little bit about golf, family, of course, and had also time to speak to him and Roger in the room about, you know, reflecting on some of the nice memories we had in our rivalries and kind of playing Nadal here in Roland Garros, etc.
02:50So that was quite special, you know, being in the room with these two guys for quite some time.
02:57And in terms of the joke about the tournament, he did congratulate me and he said, now that you have a proper coach, it's great, you're winning tournaments.
03:07So, you know, I don't know, I didn't take that as a joke.
03:12I mean, I, yeah, it's, it's, of course, it was, it was, you know, he was joking, but, you know, it's, I've said, I think I've said enough, but I'll say it again.
03:25You know, Andy's just an amazing person, first of all, someone that I have spent, you know, most of my career with since the very young age on the tour traveling, playing, playing him, facing him in a,
03:41the earliest days under 12 and all the way through to the last days of his career.
03:46So just for him to join my team and for us to give, give a shot to this player coach relationship was, was really an incredible thing for tennis and for both of us.
03:58And I was very privileged and very honored and I was enjoying myself very much, regardless of the fact that we haven't had maybe the success that we both wanted or people expected us to have.
04:10But I still think that, you know, I've, I've, I've learned things on the court with him.
04:16I've enjoyed my conversations with him about tennis because I still think that he's one of the most brilliant tennis IQ guys out there.
04:25So, um, and whoever he decides to work with next, uh, if and when, you know, that player is going to be lucky because, you know, he has definitely a lot to share, a lot of great insights.
04:39So, uh, it, it just didn't work out between us in terms of results and, and, uh, uh, in, in terms of what we were hoping for and that's, that's all there is to it.
04:49And personally, I actually enjoyed my time very much with him and I feel like we are, have a closer relationship, uh, because of our working, uh, relationship in the last four or five months.
05:00Hi there, Novak. Um, you've made your, your respect for Andy very clear there. Um, I just wonder, could you confirm and clarify, was it your decision to, to stop the relationship initially?
05:14It was mutual. Did you make the call?
05:16We, we both, we both wanted to have, uh, have a call and to speak. Uh, so we, actually, we, we both were on the same page.
05:26So it was not, you know, his initiative or my initiative. It was both of us coming together and just saying, you know, uh, I think we should stop here.
05:35And that's, that's, that's what it was.
05:42Hi, Novak. Um,
05:44I thought it was interesting to hear you describe last week as much needed and I'm wondering if you could explain why, uh, and how, how you hope that can affect you coming here?
05:59Well, uh, the reason why is because it's very simple. You know, I, I needed to win matches and particularly on this surface, um, you know, for, for me at least,
06:10it doesn't maybe come as, you know, natural to, to play well from the, the, the blocks, so to say from the very first tournaments of the season on clay.
06:19So I, I am the type of player that needs to get some, some matches under his belt before the big tournaments.
06:25Like, of course, the, the biggest one being the Roland Garros and being the, the biggest priority on this surface.
06:30Um, so that's the biggest reason why I went to Geneva. Obviously I have family there. So, you know, I, I was feeling good off the court as well.
06:40And, um, I already had a great time last year, to be honest, you know, played semis last year and, uh, was very well received by the, the public in Geneva.
06:50Great support. So, yeah, so this, this year I felt it's, it's a great chance for me to get some matches, but it's also a great chance to win, uh, a hundred title, you know, and I'll, I'll, I'll take, I'll take anything that, uh, that is, uh, kind of left on the table in a, in a sense, uh, rude was not, uh, in the tournament this year.
07:09He was dominating the last three years. So I actually saw him and I said, you know, thanks for not coming there and, uh, letting me win.
07:16So, um, so yeah, I mean, I, I, it's a different feeling for me now than it was two weeks ago, three weeks ago, for sure.
07:23I mean, the way I'm striking the ball, maybe not as too much of a difference, uh, because I feel like on practice sessions I was playing well even before, you know, Madrid tournament, but just, yeah, it happens if you lose a match.
07:38If you lose a match or two consecutively and then, you know, you don't feel you have enough match play, you start to, you know, maybe doubt your game, uh, and you don't, you don't want to be in that, uh, state of the mind coming into Grand Slam.
07:52So, uh, I'm just glad it all turned out to be perfect for me in that sense. And, uh, yeah, let's see how, how I'm able to, to play here in Paris.
08:01We take the morning with you in Paris.
08:03Hi, Nobac. Uh, at Roland Girls, they, uh, still have the line judges, while at other clay events, they have more and more the electronic system.
08:10Yeah.
08:11What do you prefer and can you, uh, explain why?
08:15Um, well, first I'll, I'll say that I understand the people who are more traditionalist and who like to have the line umpires, uh, on the court.
08:31And I think it's part of our culture and tradition that has been there for decades. Um, and I, and I do understand that aspect of it. Uh, and it's hard to make certain changes and you don't want to give everything away to the technology, right?
08:47Um, but if I have to choose between the two, I'm more a proponent of technology.
08:52I would say that it's, uh, it's just more accurate, saves time and just maybe also less people on the court, which at times is actually good if you're playing on a smaller court.
09:03And there's been, uh, you know, numerous times where players would collide with a line, line judge or line umpire and so forth.
09:11So, you know, maybe that's not the, the most important reason, but, uh, I just think for accuracy and efficiency, it's better, it's better to have, uh, technology.
09:21Yeah.
09:22Last one.
09:23Hi Novak.
09:24Just to go back to yesterday, uh, looking at the big four, you're, you're the last one standing.
09:29You're seeing them, you know, go one by one.
09:31You've been at all the ceremonies.
09:33I'm just wondering when you're in this moment, is it, what, what does it mean to you?
09:38What does it feel?
09:39Because you, you, can you see the end of the road too?
09:41Is it, is it weird to not having them around and yeah, what does it feel?
09:46Well, I have to, I mean, honestly, I was thinking about my end of the road.
09:50as well last night or yesterday when we were watching Rafa and having his speech and, you
09:56know, particularly at that, those moments when we were in back room, uh, the three of us and
10:03I was just, yeah, talking obviously to Feather and Murray about their goodbyes and, you know,
10:10reminiscing and reflecting on the rivalries and, um, of course part of me is, is proud that I'm still there,
10:19that I'm still going but at the same time as I was and I still am a bit sad that they're all gone
10:25because, you know, those guys were one of the, my greatest motivations of why I competed so intensely and for so long.
10:34So, um, yeah, I mean, I, I do, as I said, I do think that Rafa deserved what he got yesterday in, in, in full intensity of its glory.
10:47And, um, of course that each one of us dreams of being remembered in such way and celebrated.
10:54Of course, you know, I, I do wish one day that I, I can get the kind of, uh, you know, goodbye from the world of tennis, you know, for sure.
11:02But I don't, I don't have the, uh, I didn't think about the exact date if that's what you're looking for, uh, or a moment.
11:10It was more just in general of how beautiful that moment is and, and, uh, yeah, I mean, I, I, I got emotional as well
11:19when we were looking at listening to him speak and seeing the reactions of his family, of his team members.
11:24It's just, uh, it was, it was really, uh, heartwarming moment, you know, and even though we were the fiercest rivals, uh, just, you know, it's, it's that, uh, personal touch that is out there.
11:42You, when you, when you kind of spill your heart out on the court, uh, as he did yesterday, just, uh, it's, it's almost impossible.
11:50It doesn't touch you, you know, deeply. So I, I, uh, I, uh,
11:54that's, that's what we basically told him, you know, when we were on the court and it was, it was really wonderful.
11:59And, and kudos and credit to Roland Garros for doing an amazing job, you know, to, to celebrate, uh, Rafa.
