‘Adapt Every Single Day’: Rafael Nadal Reveals His Management with Changing On-Court Conditions

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal opened up on the stiff breeze and biting cold at Monte-Carlo after his brutal takedown of World No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov at the Masters on Thursday.

Speaking to former Indian tennis star Prakash Amritraj after handing the 30-year-old Bulgarian a 6-1, 6-1 rout, the current World No. 3 conceded that the conditions were, indeed, tough.

Rafael Nadal says condition was tough after pummeling Grigor Dimitrov in Monte-Carlo

Asked how he made it easier on himself in blustery outdoor conditions, Nadal said he did little else apart from “just trying to move.”

Rafa conceded that it’s a lot easier playing when the sun is out and the wind isn’t as strong as it was on Thursday. The Spaniard said there was bright sunshine during his first two days of practice and he enjoyed the hit out there.

“I did what I had to do.”

With tough conditions and a struggling opponent, @RafaelNadal was able to close out a quick and painless win to improve his record to 73-5 at the #RolexMCMasters. @PrakashAmritraj pic.twitter.com/YvF6AhNy55

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 15, 2021

“The only thing I can do is just adapt to the conditions… outdoor tennis is like this,” Nadal said, adding that’s the beauty of tennis as one needs to adapt “every single day.”

Nadal surprised by Grigor Dimitrov’s error-strewn performance

While saying that he was happy to have played a “solid match,” Nadal was quick to add that he has had some great games against Dimitrov and has never seen such error-prone performance from him before.

“I have to be honest. I think today, I played a solid match, but I think Grigor missed much more than usual. Much more than what a player like him always plays,” the Spaniard said.

Rafa wasn’t too far off the mark as the Bulgarian committed a high percentage of unforced errors and clearly seemed to have been affected by the windy outdoor conditions on the day. Dimitrov smashed his racquet on the turf after hitting a shot long and conceding a double break in the second set.

Read More: Rafael Nadal Explains Why He Chose Tennis as a Career

Nadal, who held a commanding 13-1 head-to-head lead over the Bulgarian going into the fourth-round clash, said that though the conditions were difficult, there was no excuse for his opponent to have mis-hit as many balls as he did.

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