Eyes on the prize: Rafael Nadal serves to Alexander Zverev
Paris (AFP) - Who said what on the second day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Monday:
“I don’t know if it’s the last time I’ll be here in front of all of you. Honestly, I am not sure. If it is, then you have been amazing. The feelings I have today are difficult to describe in words. It is the place I love the most.”
– Rafael Nadal after his defeat to Alexander Zverev.
“It’s hard to say about the future. I am travelling with my family and I am having fun. The body is feeling better than it did two months ago. Maybe in two months I say it’s enough. That is something I don’t feel yet. I hope to be back here for the Olympics, that motivates me. I really hope to be well prepared.”
– Nadal on his plans to play the Olympics in Paris in July.
“I wake up one day and I found a snake biting me. Another day a tiger.”
– Nadal on his career-long injury battles.
“Thank you Rafa from all of the tennis world. It is such a great honour. I’ve watched Rafa play all my childhood and I was lucky enough to play him two times on this beautiful court. Today is not my moment, it is Rafa’s moment.”
– Zverev to Nadal after his straight sets win.
“Welcome back my super hero.”
– Banner carried by a fan from China who came to Paris to watch Rafael Nadal.
“He managed to turn around some matches that it seemed impossible to turn around. This basically really inspired me. But also how he is off the court, he’s really humble and really focused on the work. It seems that success didn’t change him.”
– Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek on her admiration of Nadal.
“A lot of meditation, a lot of breathing exercises. I chose this path intentionally, and I try to give the best image possible of myself to be a leading figure for the young people.”
– Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur on being a role model in the Arab world.
“It was getting darker and darker and I would ask the referee, what’s going on. He’s like, they didn’t even tell me. So that was kind of weird.”
– Jabeur on waiting for the roof to be closed on Court Philippe Chatrier in her win over Sachia Vickery.
“He said that when he retired, he didn’t know if he was retiring from tennis or from waiting around all day. I kind of agree with that because I feel like so many of the hours we spend at the courts, we’re actually not always on the courts. A lot of it revolves around waiting, rain delays.”
– Danielle Collins on rain delays, an aspect of the sport she won’t miss when she retires this year.
“It’s still not very straight. Not very pretty, but apart from that, it’s fine.”
– Zverev on the finger injury he suffered in Rome.