At Wimbledon,
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Wimbledon: men's schedule and results
Wimbledon: ladies schedule and results
On Nadal's package
“I found out last night at dinner.
As a competitor, I really wanted to play this game.
My first reaction was a feeling of disappointment.
All my energy was focused on my match against him and how I was going to face him tactically, on the emotions I was going to feel when I entered the court.
We have had so many great battles.
Here we have each beaten the other once.
I really wanted to see what the third chapter was going to give.
We obviously want to see a player like him, so important for our sport, retire through injury (...) I hope he will recover and I'm sure I'll play against him again in a big tournament. is not the way I would have liked to achieve it.”
On his nervousness:
“I didn't sleep much last night.
I probably slept for an hour, because of the excitement.
I was so anxious, I already felt so nervous, and I don't usually feel nervous.
I hope I can sleep better tonight I'm going to have chamomile tea and rest (smiles).
I feel like I'm just a ball of energy right now.
I just want to get out of a practice, hit some tennis balls and just talk.
I wish we were there already.
On making it to the Wimbledon final
" I never thought.
I didn't think I would be here at all.
I feel like this is the pinnacle of tennis.
Once you are able to lift a Grand Slam trophy, what else is there to accomplish?
I grew up in Canberra, the courts I trained on were terrible, and now I have the chance to play the Wimbledon final.
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On the potential final against Djokovic
“Djokovic will have the advantage from the start.
He can take advantage of his experience.
He's done it so many times.
One thing is certain.
Whether I win or lose, I will be happy.
This is a great accomplishment that I never thought I could achieve.
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Read alsoWimbledon: the whimsical Nick Kyrgios is not just a bad boy
On his relationship with Djokovic
“We have a kind of bromance now.
I think everyone knows there has been no love lost for a while.
I think every time we played against each other there was hype around it.
I felt like I was the only player to defend him at the Australian Open (excluding unvaccinated Djokovic).
I feel like that's where respect is earned.
Not on the tennis court, but I think when a crisis happens in real life and someone stands up for you... We text each other on DMs on Instagram now and stuff.
Earlier in the week he said to me, "Hope to see you on Sunday.
On the three-day cut without a game
“Routine matters.
We need to keep the adrenaline going during the competition.
The positive side is that I rest my body a bit.
I will be cool.
"
On his relationship with tennis
“There are times when I hate this sport, but there are times when I think I'm one of the most competitive people I've ever met.
I love competition.
Whether it's playing my Nintendo, basketball or whatever."
On the Big Three
“I don't think me or these guys are capable of replacing them.
We will never see a competitor like Rafa again.
You'll never again see someone handle a racquet like Roger effortlessly.
You'll probably never see someone who just wins and plays the game as well as Djokovic.
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On his life come and go from the circuit
“I will never travel more than four or five months a year.
I just don't want to sacrifice time with family or at home.
I will do the American tour, but I need to recharge my batteries to leave.
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