Rafa Nadal gave an interview for the ATP Fedal Media Group after his win at Monte Carlo over Sascha Zverev. In it, he gives a look to his start to the season and his goals for the next weeks.

ATP: Congratulations Rafa on your second Masters this year! 6:0 6:0 against Sascha, what a performance! the king is back on clay?!

Rafa:
Thank you very much! No doubt, it was a concentrated match from me with few mistakes. But Sascha didn’t seem to have had his best day either. I like to congratulate him for an outstanding semifinal against Roger.

ATP:
It’s your best start to a season since 2017!

Rafa:
The last few years have not always been easy. I felt competitive, but in some matches I often lacked down mental strength or even fitness. That the results will come, of course, I always believed. Today I feel mentally and physically stronger.

Fedal:
It probably started with the Australian Open?

Rafa:
Well the AO final was a spectacular match, even if the 5th set went to Roger 😉 but the way I played and came back from a 0:2 set down gave me an extreme mental boost and confidence for the season.

ATP:
You are at the moment the number one in the Race. But Roger still has a lead of more than 5000 points in the Rankings. How do you see your chances to take over the top again after years?

Rafa:
The season is still young! The race is a nice snapshot, means I’m on the right track and doing many things right. But not much more. The ranking doesn’t lie, i`m on a good moment as number two.
Roger has been in a league of his own the last few years! Unbelievable continuity and achievements! My huge respect for what he has done and put up over all these last years!

ATP:
Now you have three clay-court tournaments coming up. Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, before you have to defend your title at Wimbledon. Ambitious program.

Rafa:
The important thing for me is to put myself in a good physical position. Get enough rest, do my things the proper way and enjoy competing with the other guys, no. Of course, I always go to a tournament with the ambitious to win it, and I know I can be successful, but in the end, the joy of being competitive and my own health have to be the goal.

ATP:
Thank you Rafa and enjoy the victory!

Rafa:
Gracias