Bee sends in the following sum-up of the vid:

I can’t give a full translation of the video but can give a brief synopsis…

From next week Rafa Nadal will start training having taken advantage of time to receive treatment on his knees. Now he has his sights on the US tour and the only Grand Slam that he doesn’t have, the US Open.

Rafa: I haven’t got a thorn in my side about the US Open, no, I am not obliged to win the 4. I have won 3 and that is more than I could ever have imagined in my life, and I am very happy with everything I have achieved. I will do everything possible to play well I have reached the semi finals twice.

Toni: He is amongst the favourites but not the maximum favourite. To win the US Open would be something very important, it would mean that he would have won the 4….

He goes on to talk about the football and how he hopes it is a success that they are good people… when he gives a little laugh he is talking about Uncle Miguel Àngel training with the team and running like the players but he is enjoying it.

The reporter ends by saying that although there are the two tournaments leading up to the US Open it is probable that he will only participate in one of them in order to arrive at the US Open in peak condition.

Photo by REUTERS/Adrian Dennis

Jon Wertheim just posted this post-Wimbly Q&A with Rafa on the SI site – good stuff there-in.

SI.com: How much does history motivate you? Do you know, for instance, whose record you tied today?

Rafael Nadal: The history is there for sure, being part of these players — Connors, Agassi, Lendl — it’s amazing. Just an honor to be close to these players. But I am 24 years old and it’s very difficult to talk about the history now, where I am. In my opinion the Grand Slams are not the only thing to value … I don’t have a lot of the information, but what Lendl did at the Masters was amazing. We have to see. We have to value different things, no? We have to see when I finish my career where I am. Right now I am very happy — I never thought I can be here with 18 Masters 1000 and eight Grand Slams.

Valuing different things – that’s the key as Rafa goes on to explain in the next bit:

SI.com: Does it mean anything to you that at the same age, you’re ahead of where Roger Federer was with Grand Slams?

Nadal: No, I think every career is different. For me, it’s amazing winning here on grass, winning on hard court in Australia. I hope to do well at the U.S. Open for sure — I’ve reached semifinals the last two years. For Roger, I think … maybe it’s easier than for me because I am especially [good] on clay and we have only one [clay-court Slam]. I can play very well on grass, too. But hard court players, they have more chances than the clay-court specialists. They have three. We have one. For sure I can play well on grass … but the chances are less.

And yet, you’ve still achieved 8 slams at a pretty young age. Not bad.

SI.com: Do you still think of yourself as a clay-court specialist, even now that you’ve won two Wimbledon titles?

Nadal: I don’t feel like a clay-court specialist. Not now and not even when I didn’t win [on other surfaces]. In 2005, I won in Montreal, very difficult. I won in Madrid [when it was an indoor event] on a very fast surface, too. I didn’t play my best tennis at hardcourt or grass Grand Slams at that moment, but I was able to do it. I think I am a complete player. I can play well on all the surfaces. For me, the clay might be easiest but I am not a specialist on clay. I have five finals at Roland Garros. I have four here.

I’ve ranted about the whole “specialist” tag before – and not just how it relates to Rafa – so I’ll refrain. Clay and his game go well together, that doesn’t equate to specialist. (Oh, I said I was going to refrain.)

SI.com: There are people who say Roger is over the hill, that he won’t come to the top again. What’s your opinion?

Nadal: My opinion is that everyone said the same two years ago and after that he won in Australia, he won in Roland Garros, he won Wimbledon, he won the U.S. Open, so we will see what happens. Roger is good enough, he has enough experience. For sure it’s difficult what he did the last seven, eight years, impossible to repeat for another player … Roger is going to be there, I’m sure of it.

You go, Rafa. The press wants a story so they invent one. Kudos to you for not feeding it.

SI.com: You talk about your difficulties, what is not easy for you. Is it more difficult to face problems on court or in your private life? Which, in your opinion, was the biggest problem you ever faced?

Nadal: You’re talking about the divorce of my parents?

SI.com: No. Everything.

Nadal: I think the tennis is only a game. You can lose. You can win. After that? In life, there are much more important things than tennis. I know that for sure … I didn’t have a lot of problems in my private life and I feel very lucky for that. But you always have things. For sure, the tennis right is an important pat of my life — it’s my work — and I have a few health problems for the last few years, especially last year. But I feel lucky. Even then I felt, “You’ve won six Grand Slams, you’ve won a lot of titles. You’re 23 years old. Be calm and be happy. What you have already is a lot.”

Amazing attitude and probably the difference between a player like him and a head-casey one.

SI.com: Do you believe in God? We see football players crossing themselves. You don’t do that. Do you do praying?

Nadal: It’s hard to say, “I don’t believe in God.” I would love to know if God exists. But it’s a very difficult thing for me to believe. I don’t know. It’s private and I don’t want to speak about it, but I say, “If God exists, you don’t need [to cross yourself] or pray.” If God exists, he’s intelligent enough to [do] the important things, the right things.

Just when I thought I couldn’t like him more…

SI.com: Can you describe glory?

Nadal: The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before.

The glory is having that attitude.

Per Inés, this video starts with Rafa leaving the knee clinic in Vitoria this morning…

….and then cramming his legs in the back seat.

Rafa in a tux:

(In case that’s region blocked, try this one on YouTube.)

Team Nadal playing tennis footie:

Posted by IanRStewart.

• Channel 6(?) report
• 24h
• cuatro
• ESPN Spanish
• L’EquipeTV

For those of you who are region blocked…

Thanks to Susanna728 for the link.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

For some reason, Rafa’s pre-final interview isn’t up on the Wimbledon site. This article, however, seems to contain quotes from it…

In regard to how odd it feels to a lot of people that Federer isn’t in the final:

“It shows just how tough the tour is,” the 2008 champion told Reuters in an interview on the eve of the final.

“What Roger did was amazing and unbelievable. It’s impossible to be there all the time. What he did, six titles and one final in seven years, is impossible to repeat.”

On being nervous:

“Two years ago when I played against Roger, the night before I didn’t sleep a lot,” he said as he slouched back on a chair after emptying his pockets of two mobile phones and a bulging black wallet.

“(Out of all my nine grand slam finals) I was the most nervous going into the 2008 final here.

“But right now I’m not thinking about the victory. I’m thinking about having a good night, having a good warm-up tomorrow morning and then go on court and try my best every point.”

Hope you are in the middle of a good night’s sleep, Rafa.

To prepare for that match he took part in a short, but intense, training session Saturday on a roasting outside court at the All England Club before sauntering on to the players’ terrace looking refreshed in a green and white striped polo shirt loosely hanging over khaki pirate pants.

As he traded high-fives with another popular former champion, Goran Ivanisevic, he barely resembled a man who could in just over 24 hours become the first Spanish man to own two Challenge Cups.

Where are pictures and video? We need pictures and video!

“I would love to have another title here but even playing four finals here is more than I ever thought (was possible) and I want to enjoy tomorrow,” said Nadal, who enjoys a 7-3 head-to-head record against 12th seed Berdych.

We hope you enjoy it too.

“If I win it will be very emotional for me but if I lose, I will accept with the same calm.

“I know how difficult it is to win another time here. I know how good my claycourt season was and how good this tournament was for me,” added the 24-year-old, who became the first man to make a clean sweep of the big four clay titles in one season.

In other words: I’m not only as good as my last tournament.

“It’s a dream for me to be back here and winning important titles like Rome, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Roland Garros. Being back in the final of Wimbledon is amazing for me.”

In case Berdych gets carried away hoping that his sledgehammer forehand can also destroy Nadal’s hopes, the second seed said: “For me the final it’s not a big pressure because I did very well the last six, seven months.”

Yep, you are already a winner, Rafa. Big time.

English:

Spanish:

And here’s the English transcript:

Q. Looked a little like 2008 again.

RAFAEL NADAL: I never like the comparations. No, every year is completely different. For me was amazing day, very important victory for me, one of the more difficult victories of my career because the opponent was playing well and I need really to play my best tennis to try to win.

I think, yeah, I am very happy. Today is very important day for me.

Never completely learn English, Rafa. Please?

Q. Because of all of what you had to go through last year with the injuries, is it even more satisfying now that you’re back here?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, that’s past. But, sure, I said in Monte‑Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Roland Garros, sure, when you had tough moments and wasn’t an easy year last year ‑ especially the second half of the year ‑ when you came back and when you still playing another time at your best, for sure I feel I playing at my best since the start of this season, since 2010 when I start.

But I didn’t win a tournament since 11 months, and after I started to win in Monte‑Carlo. So for sure that’s makes more special, because I worked a lot to be back playing my best tennis. I did, so that’s very important personal satisfaction, no? Probably is when you have tough moments and you are another time are in the top, yeah, is more special.

I like the subtle, “Yep, I’ve said this before” bit he gets in there.

Q. Does 2008 seem like a long time ago when you were here raising the trophy as the champion, or does it seem like yesterday to you?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. Two years. Well, the life is go fast. Since these two year a lot of things happen to my life. Is not very far, but at the same time I have two years with different things.

It seems like it was ages ago I spent a full Sunday glued to my TV, cursing London rain and wondering how things were going to end…

Q. You were behind 4‑2 in the last set and you weren’t playing very well then. Suddenly you win the rest of the games as you became Rafael Nadal again. Did you have to wake up?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. I felt a little bit tired after the second, after the second tiebreak. Was a lot of tension in that tiebreak in the last games of the second set.

When I started the third I lost a little bit my concentration and I felt little bit down. But that’s happen at only one game. After that game, after the first game. But, you know, in grass, one break is almost the set.

After that game I felt another time well. But Andy served well and I didn’t have lots of chances on the return. But when I had the chance, I did. So that was the most important thing of the match. I think of all important moments, just one double‑fault in the 5‑All in the tiebreak. But for the rest of the important moments, I played very well today.

Without the video, I would have been, “You were tired after just two sets?” But from the video, I think it’s very clear he meant mentally tired. I think that tiebreaker took a lot of him.

Q. It will go down as a straight‑sets victory today, but how well did Andy Murray play?

RAFAEL NADAL: Andy’s amazing player, so I don’t know how well he played. You can answer him.

But when I play against him I always see the match very, very difficult, because he makes the very difficult things very easy. So he has a good serve, and the movements are unbelievable from the baseline, no?

He looks like he’s always at the way that you’re gonna play, so he’s very difficult. For that reason I think it’s one of the biggest victories in my career today.

Really? Hmmmm. I don’t doubt this victory meant a lot to him, but my first thought was, “and is this your favorite tournament too?”

Q. Was it fun meeting Beckham?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. Did you talk a little soccer?

RAFAEL NADAL: I met him now just five minutes. Well, I know him from Madrid few years ago. And, sure, always is special meet with great sportsman like David.

At the same time, he’s a big star outside of the stadium. But for me, what I admire a lot of him is when he’s on the stadium, he fight like the best of them, more than the rest.

Becks? *yawn* Nothing new in meeting him.

Q. Can you compare meeting the Queen of England and the King of British football?

RAFAEL NADAL: C’mon, guys. Sorry. I answer that few days ago. I explain what happened in that day. For me was disappointing didn’t meet the Queen, for sure. But I have lot of respect for this tournament, and I have my routines on that day. Probably if I change the routines, I am not here today.

*snort* (I think the questioner didn’t realize Rafa hadn’t met the Queen, but I’m all for another opportunity for him to remind people he’s not there to hobnob, he’s there to play tennis.)

Q. Was it hard to recover from the double‑fault mentally?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, because I played a great point next point. But if Andy makes the serve and give me a set point was the set, so was important mistake. But I was lucky Andy missed the first serve, and later I had a chance to play the point from the baseline and I did well.

But, but…I think he was asking about that next point – recovering well enough to play that point and not let the set go.

Q. What about Andy, you said to him after the match that he could win a major.

RAFAEL NADAL: I wished him best of luck for the rest of the season, and sorry for today. I know it was an important match for him I think because he play at home, and this is a chance for him to win probably the most important title for him win here at home in Wimbledon.

Just I felt sorry for him because he’s a very nice person, very good person. I am sure he gonna win a Grand Slam very soon, because when you have final in US Open, final in Australia, semifinals here this year and the last year, you are there all the time. So one day you win. I am sure he gonna win. He deserve to win.

I’m gutted for Andy. He’s under so much pressure and, by all accounts, played excellent tennis today. But, down the line, all people are going to remember is: he lost in straight sets in the semifinal.

Q. How well aware are you that he’s such a big fan of yours? He kept talking about you’re his favorite player to watch.

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, just can say thanks. He don’t need to admire a lot of things of me because he’s too good to admire me.

Rafa looked a little embarrassed in the vid here. So cute.

Q. Do you remember where you were the first Sunday of July last year? Did you watch the final?

RAFAEL NADAL: I watched at home, yeah, on the sofa.

Rafa? Could you say “sofa” for me a few more times? Like…a few hundred more?

Q. What are the recollections you have from that day? What else do you remember about the final last year, not being there?

RAFAEL NADAL: Just enjoying beautiful match. Was a very emotional match. I liked the tennis, so I enjoyed the match. I wasn’t ready to be here, so my mind wasn’t here.

Lying through his teeth or just leaving out the bitter part of bitter-sweet?

Q. In view of Andy’s skill, were you surprised that you were able to close this out in just three sets?

RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. When I came to the match I was with the focus. I know how tough gonna be the match. I never thought win in three sets.

But at the same time, I never thought win in three sets, win in four, win in five, or lose in three or lose in four. I just go on court and try to play my best tennis point by point. That’s my style. I know I just need try play my best tennis. Only like this I going to have chances.

I like your style, young man. I do.

Q. Looking back now, does it surprise you you were able to complete this match so quickly?

RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. But he had few chances. This match is decides ‑‑ anyway, if was in three sets, this match is decide in very small things. If Andy makes this point and win the second set, maybe we are there. So everything can change in just one point.

It really did seem like if you just re-arranged a few points here or there, the outcome would be completely different.

Q. During the tournament we have found out from other players that they have been injured going into games. We found out after the game. Do you go into Sunday’s final a hundred percent fit? Your knees are ready to go?

RAFAEL NADAL: I hope so. I don’t know. I think I didn’t have any problem for the last three matches. But the pain in the second and especially in the third match is not forgot. Can be there and can’t be there in one moment, and I don’t have the control of this.

But I am still working every day to try to be healthy like I was the last three matches. But this pain sometimes appears there, and is there. I don’t know when it start and when it stop.

I hope the pretty blue tape is helping.

Q. Did you have a chance to watch your opponent in the finals?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I watched almost all the semifinal.

Q. What do you think about Tomas Berdych?

RAFAEL NADAL: Amazing. He did amazing tournament. I think he played very good match against Federer; very good match today against Djokovic. He save difficult match against Brands. Yeah, he’s the best of his draw, so for that reason he’s in the final. No one opponent can be more difficult than Tomas to play this final.

Yep, could be a cracker.

Q. Your feelings about the matchup against Berdych in this particular match on grass, is there a style that you’re expecting to see from him or what?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, Tomas is a very aggressive player, very good serve, very good flat shots from the baseline. So gonna be very, very difficult. Very difficult match. Is very difficult to stop him when he’s playing well, and he’s playing really well. So gonna be very difficult to play against him.

Aka – he’s the kind of player that really mucks up my rhythm.

Q. If you have to give a technical explanation why you won today, do you think it’s your forehand that was the big difference? Your forehand kills the point while Murray is a very good counterattacker, but it doesn’t have the same power when you slow down the ball and you slice your backhand.

RAFAEL NADAL: When you win these matches, is always the same thing: is play well and the mental thing. Mental part is decisive, no? If we talk about the technique, I served well some moments. Most of the time my serve works well.

And, sure, my feeling with the forehand was very good during all the tournament, yeah. Forehand makes the difference.

In a match that felt as close as this one, I think the difference is mental.

Q. We’ve had three classic finals in a row here. Do you expect to give us a fourth one Sunday?

RAFAEL NADAL: Ah, three five sets? Yeah, we had 2007. I don’t know. Sure, will be very difficult match. Will be very difficult match for me, and hopefully for him, too (smiling). I don’t know.

Just do your best, that’s all we can ask.

From ESPN.

Posted by meko1686.