"Those who aren't here will say 'how badly Rafa Nadal has prepared for this tournament', and that doesn't conform to reality" - Rafael Nadal on the importance of journalists in tennis
Rafael Nadal made an intriguing observation in support of journalism and the professionals who follow tennis during his press conference after defeating Casper Ruud at the 2022 ATP Finals.
Nadal won his first match in Turin on Thursday, capping off the year on a positive note. During the last match of the season, which lasted one hour and forty-three minutes, he defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-5 to record his first win as a father.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, the World No. 2 emphasized the importance of journalists in tournaments compared to other means of media communication, particularly content from a players' point of view as the new medium.
"Surely you have seen me train these days and you have seen me well, because I have also looked good. But probably those who are not here will say 'how badly Rafa Nadal has prepared for this tournament', and that doesn't fit the reality.
"What you transmit, you do from an external point of view what happens to the player. If a player transmits it from a direct point of view, well, those who receive the information receive it directly but from a personal point of view of the player," the Spaniard asserted.
The Spaniard further claimed that from his perspective, a player's face and tennis status are an essential part of journalism, as is his training regimen ahead of tournaments.
"There is one thing about journalism that is important to me, from my humble point of view. It is to see the player's face, training, tennis status, which is also appreciated in training," he added.
"I do not have a great understanding of these new technologies" - Rafael Nadal
In the same press conference, Rafael Nadal asserted how he feels that he is from a different age and has not grown up with social networks, meaning that he does not have a strong knowledge of new technologies.
"I do not gave a great understanding of these new technologies or modes of communication because I probably come from another generation that has not grown up with social networks and these methods of communication," he said.
The 36-year-old expressed his gratitude to journalists, stating that tennis players will become overlooked without the professionals constantly covering and analyzing them on the court.
"In the end, without you we would go unnoticed, and only people who were on the tracks would realize the things that happen in the world. Today, thanks to people like you, especially those who make the effort to travel many weeks a year, you have the ability to count in a more direct and real way than other people who do not travel with us," the Spaniard stated.