Paris (AFP)
"He's phenomenal," Novak Djokovic admitted on Sunday after being outclassed by Rafael Nadal in the Roland-Garros final 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
QUESTION: You were clearly dominated, but were you physically at your best?
ANSWER: "Everything was fine. I was ready for this match. I was just passed. I was beaten by someone who was just perfect today. Especially in the first two sets. is all. I won't look for absolutely any other explanation for this loss. He was just better. On clay, when he's playing like he's playing right now, it's really, really hard to take a set from him. I thought I had a chance at the 3rd set, but I couldn't catch it. "
Q: Looking back, what could you do better?
A: "I don't have much to answer: I was completely passed by Rafa, by a better player on the court. He didn't miss anything and put all the balls back, while playing very well tactically. surprised by his level of play, by the quality of his tennis. He is phenomenal. He was by far the best on the court and deserved his victory. "
Q: Did the conditions not help you as much as expected?
A: "I thought they would be in my favor. I felt good throughout the tournament, I played very good tennis, I won in Rome, I was confident in my game. But Rafa showed. we were all wrong. That's why he is such a huge champion. He played a fantastic match. Tactically, I maybe rushed a little, I tried too hard to shorten the exchanges , I probably tried too many winning shots. I probably didn't build enough points. But he's also the one who pushed me there with his incredible defense. He was handing a lot of balls. Some of my shots would have won against nine out of ten opponents. But not against him. I had to try things. But I did not find the solution. "
Interview at a press conference
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