"I had the opportunity to speak with Novak Djokovic in the locker room and he congratulated me" - Bernabe Zapata Miralles
At the 2020 French Open, Bernabe Zapata Miralles became the first Spanish qualifier to make it to the fourth round of Roland Garros.
Zapata Miralles, who was sought after by the Spanish press following his exploits at Roland Garros, recounted a chance meeting with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the locker room.
Over the course of an interaction with Puntodebreak, the 25-year-old described how he "got a little caught up" when the Serb spoke to him in English during their interaction.
A day he’ll never forget 🥹
Qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles shocks No.23 seed John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 to reach first Slam final 16
#RolandGarros https://t.co/EqCnUyKnKo
"I had the opportunity to speak with Novak [Djokovic] in the locker room, I had never exchanged a word with him, only he confronted me speaking in English and I got a little caught up, I got nervous (laughs)," Zapata Miralles said.
The player from Valencia also added that the 20-time Grand Slam also greeted warmly him during a training session the next day.
"It was five minutes of talk, he was interested in me, he congratulated me, he asked me about Valencia, super nice. The next day he saw us training and immediately came to greet us, as if he were a lifelong colleague (laughs)," Zapata Miralles said.
'Mentally there is still room for improvement' - Bernabe Zapata Miralles after impressive run at Roland-Garros
Novak Djokovic congratulated Zapata Miralles after he had an impressive run at Roland Garros.
He accounted for Indian Wells Open champion and World No. 14 Taylor Fritz in the second round and then got past World No. 26 John Isner in a five-setter before losing to Alexander Zverev in the Round of 16.
Bernabe Zapata Miralles with just a flick of the wrist 😳
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When asked if he did anything different ahead of what was the best performance of his career, the Spaniard revealed that he has done nothing different over the last two years but asserted that there was still room for improvement.
"Honestly, it's still the same, I haven't done anything different from the last two years. Mentally there is still room for improvement, we are still in that process, what we have been is prepared to fight the adversities that were coming out on the court, without any pretense of being forced to win because I was playing well. In tennis, you can often feel bad and win matches, but vice versa as well," Zapata Miralles said.
Asked if he felt a sense of pride when he saw his name alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in the Round of 16 table, the Spaniard affirmed that while he did feel satisfied to be in elite company, he never stopped focussing on the next match.
"A little, yes, especially since that part of the frame was the hardest. I liked that they put me in that bag for a few days with Rafa and Carlos, of course, that's always cool (laughs). Inside I felt very satisfied to see myself there, but I was still focused on working hard, without losing focus on the next game. I was trying not to think about it too much, my chest will swell when I get home," Zapata Miralles said.