QUESTION: Did you suffer a sudden hip injury or did you feel it coming?

ANSWER: "I had something for a few days, but not to this extent. For the moment, I don't know if it's the muscle, the joint, the cartilage... But I have already had hip problems. I've had to do treatments before. But it's never been so bad. This time I can't move."

Q: Have you considered giving up?

A: "Yes, all the time. But I haven't told anyone, neither my physiotherapist nor my team. It's up to me to know. I tried to continue playing without accentuating the injury. I I couldn't hit backhand at all, I couldn't run anymore. But I wanted to finish the match, that's all. I'm old enough to make my own decisions: as defending champion, I didn't want to give up, I didn't want to leave the court on a retirement. And it's better like that: I lost, there is nothing to say, my congratulations to my opponent. That's sport."

Q: How disappointed are you?

A: "I can't come and lie and say that life is great, you have to stay positive and keep fighting... not now. Tomorrow will be another day, but it's hard. C It's still an injury. I have to admit that I'm mentally destroyed. I hope it's not too serious. The last three weeks have been quite positive, so I hope this injury doesn't take me away. courts too long because then it will be difficult to go through the whole recovery process again.It's not just about recovery, there's also all the work that needs to be done to get back to an acceptable level. I've been there too many times in my career...I think I can still do it, but it's not easy."

Spanish legend Rafael Nadal receives medical treatment during his 2nd round match at the Australian Open on January 18, 2023 in Melbourne © MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP

Q: Where do you find the motivation each time to come back?

A: "It's very simple: I love what I do, I love playing tennis. I know that one day you will have to stop. But when you love doing something, the sacrifices you make have always make sense to the point that they are no longer real sacrifices. But having said that, it is obvious that it is tiring and frustrating to have spent so much time in my career in recovery, trying to come back. I I've accepted it quite well and I've tolerated it quite well. But the last seven months have still been a complicated period. I don't know what will happen, but I hope to avoid another long period at the moment. gap, otherwise it's going to be super difficult to find the rhythm, become competitive again and get back to fighting for my goals.Let's see what the injury is all about and how I'll be able to keep up with the (tournament) schedule."

Rafael Nadal leaves the court after his defeat in the second round of the Australian Open, January 18, 2023 in Melbourne © Martin KEEP / AFP

Statements taken at a press conference

© 2023 AFP