Hi again,

Here we are, another day in Paris, waiting to leave the hotel and go to the restaurant and be back soon to prepare the tomorrow’s game. I’ve write about nothing but tennis. I’m always talking about how I prepare a match and so on, so today I’m going to write about the restaurant where we go for dinner almost diary.

It’s a little Italian restaurant, called Restaurante Napolitano. Spectacular. They serve the best pizza in the whole Paris, and the best pasta, also. I always order it with mushrooms and prawns. It’s the same I cook myself at Wimbledon, but they do it much better.

Vittorio Selmi, of the ATP, showed me this restaurant. Vitto knows absolutely everything. Lately, he’s not in his best moment, so I’m sending him my best regards and a big hug. ¡Hold on, Vitto!

Yesterday, we arrived at the restaurant at 9, like always when I play early. Yesterday, due to the rain, the match was stopped for more than an hour and, with all the post-match work, we left the tournament at 7 and a half.

When I arrive at the hotel, I keep working. Rafa Maymo, my physiotherapist, gives me a massage. You might think ‘a massage? It rules!’ but it’s not the kind the massage you enjoy, but the kind of sport massage that hurts.

So, I’m going to dinner. Tomorrow is my third match in a row if it doesn’t rain.

Cheers,

Rafa

Hi there,

First of all, I want to apologize for the delay of this entry. Yesterday, when I returned to the hotel and started writing the blog, they told me Internet didn’t work, not only in my hotel, but in many of them.

I think it’s true, because many players in many hotels had the same problem.

I must say I made some mistakes in the press conference. I said a thing I didn’t want to say or, at least, I didn’t explain it well when I said nobody was counting with me. I was joking about the situation, the fact I played so late due to the rain.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to say something to the media. I didn’t want to say what I said or, at least, I didn’t want it to sound this tough… It would be eternal to explain all here in the blog. I did it already yesterday, in the press conference, and the journalists, sure, picked up the strong sentence. I know this, but yesterday I was not paying attention to that.

Anyway, I’m playing tomorrow (today, when you read this) and, if I success, I’m playing in Friday again in order to make up the raining days. Other players have played the second match yet, they rest today to play tomorrow the third round. Something didn’t work, but there’s nothing to do about it. I understand the tournament is trying to give spectacle from the players to the public. Alright.

Many people asked me what I did during the two raining days. Actually, not much. Every single day we left the hotel at 8’30 a.m. in order to arrive at the tournament. Like I said, you must be ready. When you’re leaving the hotel and it’s raining, it’s a shame. ‘Why are we going there? It’s going to rain all day long…’ but you must be there, prepared, just in case it stops raining. But you have to keep the good mood, you know, that’s a preparation for Wimbledon, lol.

Today, I haven’t received any fan questions yet, so I’ll ask those you sent me after the match.

Many thanks,

Rafa

Hello there. This is my first entry from Roland Garros, although I already answered your questions yesterday.

 They told me to start the blog when the tournament begins, but the frustration of not starting yet has complicated the things a lot. This is my second day waiting to hit the court.

Today, I warmed out for a few minutes, at last, but it didn’t last long. Much less than what I use to warm up. It was awful.

So, you would think that I have a lot of time to write and that I should have done that before. Actually, you don’t have time at all. You’re always ready to get out and play. Today, for example, I was prepared and they gave me the Pau Gasol t-shirt. The photo and the TV issues lasted less than 5 minutes, but, you know…

OK, so that’s the situation: we’ve got to be ready to play at any moment. I was supposed to play the second game, after the one at 11 am. So I left the hotel at 8’30, because you have to be prepared to play at 11. As I said, I wasn’t supposed to play at 11, but you’ve got to be ready because, if any player retires from the previous match, they call you and, if you don’t get on court, they disqualify you. So… you’ve got to be ready.

We arrived at the tournament and the rain seemed to go on forever. Here you are, waiting for a court to warm up. Such a pity. I even sent someone to the hotel, to bring the Playstation. We couldn’t play, after all.

So, I wish I could play tomorrow and everything starts going well.

Cheers,

Rafa