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Rafa Nadal does not want to speculate with the future options of a season that he always saw very difficult to complete. The 19-majors champion, more aware of sanitary measures than of the competition, still sees the option of defending his title at the US Open as far away. "Right now I would not like to go to play in New York. But I do not know in two months because we do not know if the situation is going to improve," he said during a meeting with the international press.

During the talk, in which EL MUNDO participated, Nadal expressed his concerns in a situation that has also overcome him. "Of course I am worried and we should all be, because the world has stopped for a while. But I am sure that if I can organize my schedule well I will be competitive," he predicted during the telematic interview.

The precautions are also palpable in his training schedule, under the orders of Carlos Moyà. The work started two weeks ago "because I don't have a tennis court at home" and since then a "step by step" climb with a "main objective": to avoid injuries. "I do not train daily, only a couple of days a week. And not three hours, but an hour and a half at most. I am trying to prepare for what may happen in the next two months," said Nadal.

"It costs more to recover 100%"

The two months of mandatory break could benefit a veteran like him, who has just turned 34. However, Rafa does not want to draw definitive conclusions either. "These situations are harder for the older bodies than for the young, because it costs us more to recover 100%. But at the same time we have more experience to know how to return," he explained.

The 'number two' of the ranking also sent a message of sanity when facing his short term, where, under normal conditions, Roland Garros and US Open should be outlined. "I trust that everyone will make the right decisions at the right time. If they do not guarantee tennis players safety, there is no point in playing. As the situation is in the world, we must be responsible and lead by example," he confirmed.

The option to renounce New York cement, given its proximity to the calendar with respect to Roland Garros, has not yet passed through Nadal's mind. "I cannot imagine that two tournaments of that caliber are played so closely together," he stressed. For now, the man will continue to collect data before making a decision. "I am a person who does not try to predict what will happen, but I try to inform myself well of what is happening."

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