BARCELONA (AFP) – Rafael Nadal said on Monday he won’t waste time dwelling on his weekend Monte Carlo semifinal loss but instead will concentrate on bouncing back at the Barcelona Open.
“What has happened has happened, whatever the reasons are,” the 11-time Barcelona champion said after a promotional appearance at a mini-tennis event in the Catalan capital.
“I don’t know the future, but I will go back to work. The job is to find myself,” Nadal said.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner, who returned at Monte Carlo after a knee injury, put a positive spin on his Saturday setback against eventual tournament winner Fabio Fognini.
“Monte Carlo was a step forward compared to where I was a week earlier,” Nadal said.
He was joined at a mini-tennis court set up at an ornate Barcelona classical concert hall by two-time tournament champion Kei Nishikori.
The Spaniard will open his title defence on Wednesday against Argentine Leo Mayer, a first-round winner over Marius Copil 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5.
Nadal called his first light hit-out since Saturday’s loss “normal.”
“It’s the first day of practice in a different place. I did what I had to do,” he said.
He again labelled his defeat to Fognini ”one of the worst matches on clay.”
“It’s a reality. There is no need to hide it. I don’t see any benefit in denying it.”
As usual, the 32-year-old Spaniard is focusing on the bright side as the pre-Roland Garros clay season hits full stride.
“I lost a good opportunity to start the season in a fantastic way. But I’ve now got another one.”
”We will know more about my form on Wednesday. This is a very special tournament that is part of the history of tennis and of my own.
