Rafael Nadal was pleased with his attitude despite a 6-2 1-6 6-3 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Madrid quarter-finals.
In his first tournament back since a rib injury, the 21-time grand slam champion was able to win two matches here before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight.
Alcaraz will play Novak Djokovic in the first semi-final on Saturday after beating his idol for the first time in his career in front of his home fans.
Despite an impressive second set, Nadal wasn’t able to keep the intensity and high level of play as he went out in the last eight.
However overall it was a positive tournament for Nadal as he alluded to in his press conference after the match, “The reading of the tournament is I have played three matches and that I came here with hardly any preparation, with no preparation. This is the reality,” Nadal told reporters after the defeat.
“But I think that I was out there with the correct attitude and analyzing every single morning what I had to do to generate options for myself and to improve. After that, I was not able to do it as what I needed today, but I have the clear vision on the things that I have to improve. Now is the moment to work and to be confident that things will evolve in the right way.
“I have had better days, worse days. But it has not been a disaster in any case. I think that I have competed with the correct attitude. I have played two, two-and-a-half hours, nearly three, I think three matches, this is a positive outcome.
“From here onwards, just looking forward with optimism and happy with and excited. We will see what happens, but at the end, things, so that they can work properly, you have to believe.
“To give yourself opportunities means to keep on working with the correct mentality, correct attitude. When things are complicated, things come the way they come and you have to look to the future with joy and happiness.”
Nadal’s two wins came against Miomir Kecmanovic, in straight sets and a three hour marathon win over David Goffin.
This will be a positive for Nadal that he has had the match time this week as he looks ahead to next week’s tournament in Rome.
Next week in Rome will be the closest type of conditions to Roland Garros where Nadal will look for a 14th title in a few weeks time.
Speaking in his press conference Nadal said because of the altitude the tournament in Madrid is tough to analyse, “You cannot analyse so much. We are in a special tournament here,” the Spaniard said.
“We have the altitude, the tournament that is most far away from Roland Garros in the clay season, and I knew I didn’t want to start playing in this tournament because it is the most complicated. This is the reality.
“So I came here knowing that this is the toughest tournament, because here the ball flies much more. When they return the ball, you have to be much faster with your legs than in other places, because if you don’t position yourself properly behind the ball, the unforced error comes easily and it’s easier to lose the confidence here than in a court at sea level.”
Nadal will have a clearer idea at where he is at next week where he is the third seed in Rome.
The Spaniard is in Novak Djokovic’s half of the draw and will face a qualifier or John Isner in his opening match.
