"It was a great battle for the sport."
So said the man who had lost one of the most talked about matches of recent years — the Australian Open final in January that saw Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal over five extraordinary sets, lasting 5 hours, 53 minutes.
Nadal went home to Mallorca immediately afterwards to golf and spend time with his family, content in the fact that his game was on the upward swing again, despite that agonizing defeat.
Thursday, at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden as first-round matches at the BNP Paribas Open got under way, the Spaniard appeared in public again for the first time and talked about his rivalry with Djokovic, who has now beaten him seven straight times.
"It was an emotional match, a long match, a match of great quality," Nadal said. "I was happy to be part of that match, although sad not to have won the fifth set. At the end, when we were sitting down waiting for the ceremony, I was very scared about cramping. We were both destroyed physically. It was tough for both of us, more for me."
The loser always feels that way because the adrenaline dies faster as disappointment sets in, but Nadal refused to be drawn into any idea that he was spooked by the sight of Djokovic after all those losses.
"I just want to be a better player," he insisted. "That's enough for me. When I wake up in the morning and go on court, I don't think about Novak. I am thinking about how to improve my game. That's my way. That's how my mind works. I do not have the spirit of revenge."
Nadal was questioned on the lingering debate about whether umpires should be stricter in enforcing the 20-second rule between points — a rule Nadal and Djokovic, two of the most deliberate players on the tour, are frequently in danger of infringing.
"The rules are there and the umpires have to consider whether to give a warning," he replied. "Just have to accept (it). I have been warned many times, and sometimes they have been right and nearly always I accept (it). But there has to be more appreciation of what is happening on court. When every rally is long, it is not possible to keep to the rules. Yes, we have to follow the rules if we can, but there has to be an open mind."
To the delight of his fans Nadal will also be playing doubles at Indian Wells, as are many of the top singles players.
"It is good for practice as I have not been playing matches," he said. "That is one reason. But I also get to play with one my best friends, so it is fun."
The happy best friend is Marc Lopez, who gets to pick up a little prize money and grab a moment in the limelight. It may be a short one because Nadal and Lopez have been drawn against two formidable doubles players in Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic, the No. 3 seeds. The match kicks off the evening session on Stadium Court at 7:00 p.m. PT Friday.
Unlike Nadal, Andy Murray has been hard at work since losing in another of the great matches in Melbourne — the semifinal against Djokovic. After 10 days of intense work in Delray Beach with his new coach Ivan Lendl, Murray flew off to Dubai and beat Djokovic in the semifinal before losing to Roger Federer, who claimed his fifth title in his last seven tournaments.
"It was mentally very good for me to beat Novak," Murray said. "Last year, when I lost to him in the final in Melbourne, I felt I was a long way behind, although I probably wasn't. But my confidence went right down. Now I am very calm on court and am hitting my forehand much, much better as a result of the work I have been doing with Ivan."
It was pointed out that there were still a lot of negative comments in the media about what Murray had not achieved, despite being ranked fourth in the world four consecutive years and reaching three Grand Slam finals.
"If I looked back at what I expected to achieve when I was at school, I would never ever have expected to reach this level," he said. "I would have signed up for what I have achieved right away. But now, of course, I want to achieve more. I think I have grown up in the last year and matured, and I think there is a lot more ahead."
