Rafa Nadal: "Last year saw the U.S. Open on TV, now what ... - 20minutos.es

class=”text”> The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal serves the media at a press conference before the U.S. Open. (AP)

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, who just regained second place in the ATP world rankings, said he has the “right attitude” to play the U.S. Open which starts on Monday and missed the year gone through a knee injury.

“Last year saw the event on television, this year I have the opportunity to play and that’s amazing ,” said the Spaniard at a news conference during the celebration of the Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day , an event that serves as the opening of the tournament and attended by the U.S. first lady, Michelle Obama.

Nadal acknowledged

is having a season “unbelievable”, and reaching the final Grand Slam of the year “with the right attitude,” which “never would have thought” in February, when he returned to compete after seven months away from the tracks due to a left knee injury.

Asked if it was difficult to see last year’s U.S. Open final in which they could not participate, the Manacor responded with a resounding “no”. “It was a strange feeling because most of the times I’ve seen the finals of a Grand Slam has been on TV “, he laughs.

Since his return in February, Nadal has been nearly unstoppable on the hard court, which traditionally felt less comfortable, and treasure and fifteen victories over such area in so far year, a successful turn leads him to qualify this as one of “the most emotional seasons” of his career.

His last victory at the Cincinnati tournament gave him the points needed to oust Andy Murray and back in second place in the ATP ranking, although the Spaniard prefers not to talk about a struggle be number one and reiterates that it is focused on the day to day.

The next test you will face will be on Monday at the start of the tournament which takes place in New York, where you will need to measure American Ryan Harrison and could challenge yourself to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals after the draw for the pairings .

class=”quote_new”> also assume that Roger and I were going to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon “I do not think that, in Wimbledon also assumed we would get (in rooms)” ensures the tennis player on the hypothetical match with Federer, remembering that in that tournament both fell before .

busy Nadal press conference was preceded by, among others, for the world number one, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer, now relegated to seventh place in the ATP, two players who stressed the successful return of Mallorcan tennis player .

“By now it has been the best player this year, no doubt about it ” Djokovic said.

done with this Grand Slam, Nadal earn a total of $ 3.6 million , since, in addition to the 2.6 million who would pocket the tournament, receive a bonus of another million for having made this year’s U.S. Open Series sponsored by Emirates Airline.