L'Equipe interview ...

The pictures are from yesterday's presser (not the magazine article) ... but they are just so damn good I needed to use them!!

Anway ... l'Equipe.

Our intrepid Rafateer Rafan, was on the train at 7 am this morning into London to hunt down a copy of l'Equipe. Just so you know, that's about an hour and half journey for her each way - at least! Rafan was always the intrepid hunter when she could sniff a Rafamag in the air. Her search took her to Victoria, King's Cross and St Pancras stations ... but she bagged one!

@adeline1609 has kindly translated the main quotes and tweeted them, so here's the gist of what the article was saying. Rafa seems in a good place to me ...

"When I was injured, I never came to think I would never play again". 

"When I say I'm not the favourite or I don't know if I will win another GS I mean it. It's not something I just say to the press". 

On what practice means to him: 'If you don't enter the court asking yourself what you can do to be a better player, you're dead in my opinion.' 

'Confidence doesn't come from practice. It gives you the weapons to play well. Confidence is related to victories'. 

'

In order to win, you have to play well, and to play well, you need to practice. Tennis is not a complicated game, it's very easy'.

On facing injuries: '2 options: give up -this I can't- or try to resist pain & keep improving. I've always tried to find solutions'. 

'Education is not just what you're told when you're young. It's also watching how the adults behave and learn from it'. 

'By waking up early to work hard till not going back home before 10pm, my father really thought me what passion & motivation are'. 

'Even when you give everything there's always a time when you feel like you're running out of solutions (...) Then you can cry' 

'I find it OK to cry. It's not because you're an adult that you're not allowed to do so. It helps all the frustration to go away'. 

'When I cry after winning RG, it's not because I'm happy. It's for all the work and efforts I've put into it. Finding solutions'. 

'I don't see myself playing till 38 (like his uncle MA). It's impossible. Neither my body nor my mind would handle it' 

On where he feels 'fresher' now (28 years old), body or mental? 'In my head, that's for sure'