Rafael Nadal, King of Roland-Garros | Interview

I was able to win 14 times Roland-Garros, it's something ok. To win the first title has been unforgettable for me. My legacy is about determination, passion and love in the most important place for me. Well actually the first time that I visited Roland-Garros had been I think 2004. I was in crutches. It was a strange feeling because I was supposed to be playing already that year. But I had a tough, my first foot injury. I remember arriving in Roland-Garros, a place that I was able to watch on TV during all my life. I remember even on crutches going at the highest part of the stadium and saying hopefully next year I will be here to do good things. 2005 has been of course very special. It was my first title in Roland-Garros, first Grand Slam title. And at the same time things went very quick. Because I started the year being the number around 50 something in the world. And a few months later I arrived to Roland-Garros with the feeling that I was maybe not the favourite but one of the favourites. Because I started winning a lot of matches and I had a great clay court season winning in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. So I arrived in Roland-Garros with that confidence. When I saw the draw I said wow, no, this is a very tough draw. But then things went well and at the end I was able to find a way to win the first title and it has been unforgettable for me. Well for me the most important one was 2006. Because I came back from a very difficult injury of my foot. I didn't know if I was going to be able to play again at the level that I played later in my career. So for me the most emotional one was 2006. People talk a lot about 2008 performance. It's true that probably was maybe the year that I played better or I was at a different level than the rest of the players. But the truth is even if that year I remember the tournament because I played so well. It's a year that for me was not that emotional because the results have been more or less comfortable. So from internal side I remember other years that the things have been much more difficult. I came back in 2017 and the year started well. I arrived to the tournament with that confidence that ok, I am playing well. I feel myself again probably a big candidate to go through the end. And that's what happened. At the end I played a very strong game.