Nadal Relaxes In Doha After Tournament Win

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 6th January 2014

ExxonMobil Qatar ATP Open Tennis tournament in Doha

Nadal Relaxes In Doha After Tournament Win

epa04008364 Spain's Rafael Nadal poses with his trophy after winning the final match against Gael Monfils of France at the ExxonMobil Qatar ATP Open Tennis tournament at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar on 04 January 2014. EPA/ALI HAIDER |

Rafael Nadal is so relaxed after starting his year with a first ever Qatar ExxonMobil Open title that he saw no need to rush for a flight to Australia and instead spent a leisurely day off in Doha catching up with his former football idol Raul and relaxing with his family.

The world no.1 was unconcerned that his main rival Novak Djokovic was already practicing at the Australian Open site and acclimatizing to Melbourne conditions or that Roger Federer was getting used to the antipodean heat, playing the Brisbane International final against Lleyton Hewitt.

After braving the evening chill of the Arabian Gulf to beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 and move above Andre Agassi into a clear eighth position in the all-time list of trophy winners with 61 titles, that well known creature of habit Nadal was no mood to change a routine.

Wherever he is playing around the world, he always aims to arrive at the site of a Grand Slam to begin practice on the Tuesday before action begins. So he was content to catch a 1am Monday flight out of Doha and utilize eight hours of time difference in his favor.

“Even if I had lost here in the first round, I would still have the ticket [to Melbourne] for Sunday night and I think is enough time for me,” said Nadal who had a long-standing lunch arrangement with Raul, the Real Madrid all-time top goal scorer who has been playing for the Qatar Stars League team Al Saad for nearly two years.

“I feel being so long time in the same place and waiting for the tournament is something that few things are positive and other things are negative. So I am happy here. I have a day off here in Doha, and then I fly.

“So I am going to arrive there in Melbourne on Monday evening and I’m going to practice on Tuesday at 4pm like I always do. I’m going to have almost a week to practice well there, and I think hopefully will be enough to acclimate my game to Australia. If your game is not adapted in six days, you will never be adapted. That’s my feeling.”

Nadal’s title win took his haul to 11 since he returned to the game 11 months ago after protracted knee issues. He missed last year’s Australian Open but could not be feeling happier on his return to Melbourne Park where he has won the title just once, in 2009.

“I don’t go there thinking about the adaptation of my game,” insisted Nadal who recaptured his best form against Monfils after indifferent performances against two Germans, 74th ranked Tobias Kamke and world no.162 Peter Gojowczyk. “I go in there thinking about the things that I want to keep practicing to be very competitive there. I want to keep practicing in the same way that I played today. I think that’s the right way.”

However Nadal felt like taking one more dig at the ATP World Tour calendar, something he delights in criticizing. “It’s tough because Australian Open is very early,” he said. “It would be better to play such an important tournament a little bit later in the season. That’s the real thing. Because when it is the third tournament of the season, or second tournament of the season for me, you are competing for one of the most important titles. So for me that something a little bit strange.

“But in the end every year is same. It is nothing new for me and for us. I hope to have a good week of preparation there in Melbourne and try to adapt my game to that quick surface and hope to be ready for next Monday.”

Topics: 10sballs, Atp World Tour, Doha, Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News