Rafael Nadal was annoyed when a journalist suggested that his loss to Alexander Zverev in the 2019 ATP Finals group stage might be due to distractions from his marriage to Maria Francisca Perello. He questioned the journalist’s seriousness before firmly dismissing the idea.
Nadal was the top seed at the Year-End Championships in 2019 and was placed in Group Andre Agassi. He began his campaign with a challenging three-set win against Daniil Medvedev, followed by another three-set victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, Nadal then suffered a straight-set defeat to Zverev, which led to his elimination from the tournament.
In a post-match press conference, Nadal was asked if his marriage to Francisca Perello, just a month before the tournament, had been a distraction. The couple, who had been together for 14 years, tied the knot in Mallorca, Spain. They remain strong and welcomed their first child, a baby boy, in 2022.
The Journalist asked:
“Tonight you were playing very short many times. I don’t know why, because you’re not used to that. I’d like to know, for many people to get married is a very important distracted thing before the marriage, during the marriage, after the marriage. I’d like to know if somehow your concentration on tennis life has been a bit different even if you were going out with the same girl for many, many years.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion replied:
“Honestly, are you asking me this? Is a serious question or is a joke?”
“Big surprise for me you ask me this after I have been with the same girl for 15 years and having a very stable and normal life. Doesn’t matter if you put a ring on your finger or not. In my personal way, I am a very normal guy,” he added.
Rafael Nadal: “Alexander Zverev, well played, and me, bad played”
In the same press conference, Rafael Nadal reflected on his loss to Alexander Zverev in the group stage of the 2019 ATP Finals. He praised the German, admitting that he was the better player.
“Just Sascha, well played, and me, bad played, honestly,” Nadal said. “We can find reasons or excuses, but at the end of the day, what all really matters is I need to play much better in two days after tomorrow. That’s the only thing.”
The Spaniard added:
“I stay positive. I stay competitive, something that today I was not. That’s the thing that I am more disappointed.”
“Because knowing that I will not be at my 100% in terms of feelings, in terms of movement, in terms of confidence or hitting the ball, I needed my best competitive spirit this afternoon, and I was not there in that way,” he continued.
The ATP Finals has been one of the most challenging tournaments for Nadal, as he has yet to secure a title there.
