Rafael Nadal - Pre tournament Interview

Translated from: Sport365

Rafael Nadal took advantage of his stay in Paris to sign a few autographs on the Champs Elysees on Thursday. The opportunity for the world No. 1 to the point a few days of his opening match at Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal, if you win in two weeks, it will be your sixth victory at Roland Garros. Is it a challenge for you?

It is a daily challenge. The challenge is that I'm going to play my best tennis to have a chance of winning. But winning Roland Garros is motivation enough. I need not tell me that I will reach six sacred if they win.

You were beaten by Novak Djokovic four times already in 2011, during the finals at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome. Is it a year "special" for you?

For me, what makes Novak really is impressive. Now I'm not going to focus on him and especially not on a possible final against him. There are many games to win before.

Novak Djokovic is it the favorite of the 2011 edition of Roland Garros?

Absolutely. I think he's the favorite, he has not lost a game since the beginning of the year and he played fantastically.

Are you frightened by Novak Djokovic?

Scared? No. But he made some amazing things right now. This will be very difficult to reproduce in the future. I admire what he did.

"Federer is always dangerous"

What will the playing conditions by you at Roland Garros while the bullets will be new?

I played two hours Thursday with Gilles Simon, but it is still too early for me to say what the conditions, although they should be different from the last tournaments I played. The bullets seem to bounce a little higher but I need a few more hours on court for more information. I do not really mind.

Why have you brought with Gilles Simon on Thursday?

Because I maintain good relations with him. I train with many people throughout the year. There is no special reason.

How do you rate Roger Federer , you have beaten easily in the semis in Madrid?

I think that he is a favorite for the Grand Slam tournaments are his specialty. It is always very dangerous during major events. This is one of the best players in the history of the sport.

What is the best French player on the circuit you think?

It's hard to say because there are many great players here in France. Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils are capable of playing very well. Monfils has already played a semi-final at Roland Garros in the past and will have his chance. It is difficult to predict the future but these players have the potential to make a beautiful tournament.