Hello everyone,

Well this is a funny blog because I am writing it for a British newspaper and I have just played their number 1 player. I hope that those of you fans of Andy are not too upset. I think I played my absolute best tennis on half of the first set and the whole 2nd set. I felt really good today.

But I wanted to mention specially the crowd. They were just fantastic. I have said in the press conference that they were extremely fair but I would add now that they were simply the best crowd.I felt really appreciated when I stepped on court. The round of applause was extraordinary considering I was playing against their player. I only have thank you words for them and repeat that I have always felt really good here at Wimbledon with the crowd.

I would also like to say that Andy Murray is a great player and I have no doubts that he will be very soon in the Top 5. Not Top 10, but Top 5. He has the talent to be there and he will be there soon.

After having said this I really don't have much more words. And I am supposed to write a bit more (I guess...). So let me say to you that today when I was going to the courts at 11.30am saw those clouds and thought it would be a long day... I managed to get early to warm up at noon and after 25 minutes practicing it started to rain. Not much , but enough to have the courts covered and delay some play. That's when I felt I was really at Wimbledon.

Lot of thoughts from last year came to my mind and believe me I felt good. It is funny how you (I do at least) always remember the good things from past situations. It is true that I also remember the bad ones but when something was in the end positive I tend to retain in my head the good memories. Well that's what happened to me today thinking about the rain and Wimbledon. True that I didn't win last year, I was close, but I still remember the good things.

Tomorrow more practice and wait to see who will be my rival in semis. They are one set all and for them it is unlucky they  have to play 3 days in a row (the winner obviously).

Thanks,Rafa

Hi everyone,

Well tomorrow (today when you read this), I have that big match here at Wimbledon. I play against the local player Andy Murray. It is funny in one way since I have always gotten a lot of support here at Wimbledon. The crowds really support me and I really feel it. So tomorrow I suppose they will support mostly Andy. I have been asked a lot about that today. It is normal and I find it normal that the support will go to his side, but at the same time I am sure that they will be very respectful with me and I am also sure they will applaud the good points of both players. I expect this kind of atmosphere and I am sure that if the match is close and good the crowds will get very much into it.

Today I woke up at around 10 and immediately after breakfast i changed plans. I had scheduled a practice at 1 pm but since my mother and sister arrived yesterday I decided to spend some time with them. I saw the sky all cleared and sunny and the forecast was great for the day so I decided to change the practice to 6pm. At the same time I had more time to rest the back of the knee just to be on the safe side. I had a lot of questions today about the knee but as I said yesterday, everything should be fine for tomorrow.

Apparently for the next days the weather forecast is bad. The tournament has been great so far on that regard and you know what, the gentleman in the locker room said to us today that it is not going to rain... Normally the locals know well these things... but I tell them the forecast is not too good.   Let's see.

So, the Euro 08 is over and now it is like if I miss a bit of football. So to kill that, we watched a DVD that an Italian newspaper published a couple of years ago of goals. It is called the best 200 goals, so while we ate, we watched that on the TV. Glad that it is over because we won but on the other hand I miss those matches every afternoon/evening...

See you tomorrow !

Rafa

Hi Everyone,

To be very honest with you, I never thought I would be writing this blog today after a comfortable win against such a difficult player as Michal Youhnzny. We always had very difficult matches and it was a surprise to me the outcome of the match today. I was saying to you that I feel very comfortable and very good playing since I have been practicing great and also playing good at matches. But except for that scare I had today on the second game, I felt great on court.

Talking about that scare I really thought at that moment that I injured myself. I even thought about the ligament since I heard a crack. I was very scared, believe me. Then when Michael Novotny (the ATP trainer) and the tournament doctor came and checked it out, they told me it was normally OK and that I could continue to play. Scary moments when everything goes through your mind. Having to retire on the second game of the match in the 2nd week at Wimbledon is not precisely what you dream about. So the worries are big. But as I say everything is OK and hopefully tomorrow when I wake up the back part of the leg should be fine. I did a precautionary test after my press conference and I should be fit to play on Wednesday.

It would have been terrible and specially on a personal way now that my mother and sister arrived this morning. Can you imagine? they arrive today and after only 2 games I am out. Same with the crowd, huhh? Anyway, things are well and I am really looking forward to playing Andy on Wednesday. I watched most of the last 3 sets and I am very excited about that match.

Many thanks to all and probably you have noticed I didn't say anything about Spain, huhhh?

Viva España !!!

Thanks

Rafa

Hi everyone,

Well I suppose you all guess what I am going to say first... right?... VIVA ESPAÑA!!!. Spain is the Champion and for me a big football fan this is one of the best moments of my life. I don't know how to compare it. Obviously like when I win a big title is big, this is at that level for me. For the country obviously this is bigger, much bigger and I agree. It made me so happy.

I have to admit I was very nervous before the match. I didn't want to speak to many people, it was like if I was going to go on-court to play a big match. I remember that Benito, my PR Manager, wanted to take a video and some pictures and I didn't want. I didn't allow him and now that I think about it... I wanted to be focussed and expecting the match.

We were a few today. Apart from my team there was also Feliciano Lopez and his team together with his girlfriend, his mother and father. We were around 15 and we jumped many times. When Torres scored it was great and the final whistle was a big party and celebration for us. What a moment. Spain deserved it, we deserve it. We were the only big football nation that hasn't won a big title in almost the last 50 years. Spain won and showing a great football.

So my day started this morning waking up at 9.30 am and immediately listening via internet to the Spanish radios. I went to practice at 1 pm with Tipsarevic, had some press to do and then got back home to "concentrate" on the match. What did I do? Played darts in the little backyard we have with my team and Albert Molina from IMG, played some play station,... You know, just things to make the time go fast.

We ate really late today. I think it was around 4.30 pm. We don't even eat that late in Spain, but you know, the after practice, coming to the house, shower, etc... late. Too late.

Then it was the moment of the match. But anyway, back to tennis, tomorrow I have a very difficult match against a very difficult player. I know it won't be easy, but I will have more support than in the past days since my mother and my sister are coming tomorrow morning. My sister has finished her exams and so they are coming to see me play and support me. I always enjoy their presence.

Saludos a todos !

Rafa

Hi everyone!

Well, I am still jumping and shouting after the football match yesterday. What a match. Don't get me wrong, simply I just love football and I am happy Spain is doing well. We deserve it. But I am also thinking about tomorrow's match against Kiefer.

I heard somewhere that someone said it was not very professional for me to have asked the tournament to put my match early so I could watch the football. I didn't ask them to cancel my match. Come on! I only kindly asked if it was possible to schedule me early ... anyway, jokes aside, I am really focused and thinking about tomorrow's match against Nicolas Kiefer, from Germany.

May I say that he is a very difficult player, one that I have played twice this year on a different surface (hard). It’s not easy. I am playing well now but still this will be a difficult game.

Today the surprise. It rained!!! That brought back memories from last year. I had a practice scheduled for 2pm and had to change it to 4pm. I had arrived to the club at 12.50pm to get ready for the practice. When I left home it was raining so I knew practice would be late so I decided to have lunch at the club - pasta with salmon. I think I have eaten less onsite this year than when I used to go home and have lunch there if it was a day I wasn’t playing.

The funny thing today was that some pasta got stuck in my throat ... just like the banana a year ago. My physio helped me and everything is okay but it was very funny. After practice I had to do some a film shoot for something for the NIKE website and the olympics. So it was a busy, late afternoon. It took me over an hour and a half. I always have something on but it’s okay as this way I keep myself busy and the day of the match comes faster.

Thanks to all and hope to write tomorrow.

Rafa

Hi everyone,

I just came from defeating Nicolas Kiefer in my 3rd round match at Wimbledon. I am writing this blog straight away after winning and have just finished my work both at the physiotherapist and with the media. Lot of questions about a potential final here at Wimbledon, but not from last year... They ask me about this year! Already! If you follow me, I always say that I take match after match and don't even look at the draw since I consider every rival very difficult. I said the other day that Gulbis was dangerous and difficult and there you go he took the first set and the second, very importantly for the match went to a tie break. If he had won that set it would have been a different game. That's why I say these things.

My next match is against Mikhail Youzhny from Russia. A very difficult player who has beaten me at important tournaments. I remember the year he beat me at the quarters of the US Open. He hits very hard and flat and I always have very tough matches against him on fast surfaces.

No need to go far in time or place. Last year, here at Wimbledon, I was 2 sets to love down and really struggling on that Court No 2. It was a great and epic match for me that boosted even more my confidence. I think I really played great on those following three sets and managed to win. Very important win.  I mean, those matches at those courts are very important. They are tricky, very tricky and the rivals know that too. And it's been a while since I wanted to say this. I would like to send a big hello and give my support to Vittorio Selmi. He is an ATP employee and one of the men who really know about this sport. He is an open book. Knows the history of the game, was part of it, one of the pillars together with other people and a person really important that was always close. Well he is going through tough moments in his life since the management of the ATP, the top management, has put him aside. A person that has been working for 30 years for this sport doesn't deserve this treatment. Something really bad from a human point of view that shows the type of people at the top of this organization, our organization, the one that is supposed to be representing us. Vitto, cheer up and hope to see you soon. We want you on top form!And of course, I could not finish today's blog without mentioning the final on Sunday. No, no, there is no tennis tomorrow (for those only following tennis). I mean the Eurocup of football. Spain 2 Germany 1 is my guess. I didn't guess right one score so far, but hopefully tomorrow It will be the first one I guess right. I am confident and very nervous at the same time. More than if I play !!! I spoke to Casillas the other day after the semifinals and I am sure they are going to win. They really believe in themselves and they can do it. This is very important. They are convinced they can do it, and they will do it. Believe me when I say this is very important for Spain too. We need this win. So... Vamos España!!!!

Thanks. Rafa

Hi everyone,

Well, to be honest with all, if it was for me, I would only talk about football all night. I am writing this blog tonight a couple of hours after Spain has defeated Russia and qualified to play the final of the Eurocup of football. Big night for us Spaniards, very big. I love football and everyone knows it. I had a great time today and I am very proud of what the guys have done. What a match, what a team we have. I believe they can really win the whole thing and that could be historical for my country. I might sound a bit over excited, but you know what, I really am.

I watched the match again at home, at the house I have rented during my stay at Wimbledon. I had my team with me, the people traveling to the tournaments with me, also Feliciano Lopez and his team. We had a great time before and after and I am writing this short blog today before going to sleep.I have been asked if did really ask the organization to play early. And yes I did. I am not sure if this is very professional. Why not? we can do both, hhuhh? We can play our tournament and also be looking forward to watch football. I did ask to play early so that I could be on-time to watch the match. It is not only the tennis match itself that it was also pretty long (almost 4 hours). But after that I have some work in the changing room with my physiotherapist and then all the media and TV. That takes almost 1.5 hours.

Tomorrow I have that half day off as I call it since after practice I will take it easy and rest. Maybe it is not the right day to go for that ride on The Thames. Maybe next week if I am still at the tournament.

Many thanks to all and allow me to say today: Viva España !

Rafa

Hi everyone,

Well, today is an important day. Not because of my match, but because for the football match Spain v Russia. I hope you don't take this comment in a wrong way. I mean, my match is very important for me and I am very focussed on it. I want to win and I know it is a very tough and difficult one. First thing first. But I am also excited about that semi-final in the Eurocup. But the Gulbis match will be very difficult since I know him and he is a very promising young player with great shots and specially a great serve. I know it will be tough.

Coming back to football, we will watch it at the house I have rented in Wimbledon with some other Spanish players, coaches and managers. There will be a great atmosphere and we are all very excited about it. Again, don't take me wrong since the tennis is my number one priority... On Wednesday I practiced only one time and I have to say I am feeling great. I feel playing good and hopefully on Thursday I can play at my best.

You might think that I am getting boring with these blogs since I don't talk much, but I think this is more or less a diary and with the fact of having the house so close to the tournament site, I really don't do much. From the house to the club back and forth. It is great for the concentration on the tournament but not much social life, sightseeing or anything alike. We don't even go out for dinner. Only with the exceptions of a special dinner or things alike.

My uncle Toni, who loves to walk, does go out for walks and even goes to the city if he has a free afternoon or morning and walk. I simply can't do that. Lot of people say to us, well your life looks great with all that travelling. But to be honest we don't have that much time to go out and do what other "normal" people do when they travel. Except on very rare occasions I go out and do "tourism". I did it in during Roland Garros since I had 2 days in between the quarter and semifinals and then it is OK. Also good to break the monotony of the long weeks.

Here I found out that there are boats that go through the river Thames and if I go further in the tournament I am thinking of one day doing it to have a different view of London from the river. We'll see.

Anyway, as I say big day today and hopefully Spain will win (after I pass to 3rd round?)

Thanks all.

Rafa

Hi everyone,

Once again I am happy and it is nice to be like this everyday. I won my first round match at Wimbledon and that, for me, it is great news. IT is always difficult, believe me, these first rounds. Today's opponent has a great service and as I said yesterday can hit very strongly. But I played well and specially I served very well. I guess you don't want to hear more of me about the match so I tell you other stories.

It is funny how most of my press conference today and some of your questions are about football. I know football is the biggest sport in the World and I also love to talk about it. So it is cool with me. Specially when Spain is playing the semifinals of the Eurocup. So there you go, I had a lot of questions about my thoughts on the match against Russia, etc. I love answering questions about football but I don't really understand why so they ask me? I know that I am quite popular and what I say is always useful but when they ask me for the ideal 11 playing or things like that it is funny. One other thing is that Giorgio di Palermo, a Tour Manager from the ATP, is really upset with me and some of the other Spaniards around since we gave him a hard time the other day after the Italy v Spain match. Well, he has to remember that when Roma eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League earlier this year he more or less behaved like this. So here it is my revenge. In any case Giorgio is a great guy so, come one man, don't get upset. We deserved to win and Italy, a country that I truly love and enjoy very much, played simply ugly and bad. But they are the World Champions so respect to them.

I did not mention the other day is that I bought a nice painting of Marilyn Rock by the reccomondation of Daniel Muszkat, who is the representative of the artist Daniele Donde. My agent Carlos Costa introduced me to him and I just loved that painting. Not that I am very much into art but I do like these things and specially paintings. My uncle loves it too. I also got a present today from a sculptress called Louise. Really beautiful so I have to thank her. Last year she already made one of me and gave it to me. She actually brought it to Mallorca and it is really nice of her.

I am sort of shy and when people give me these presents I really have a tough time. I hope they all take it right. It is simply that also my English is not the best so I struggle a bit. But I really appreciate all these gestures.

Many thanks to all and until tomorrow.

Rafa

Hi everyone!

Today I am a very happy person. I normally am, but today, after the football match I can't say I could not be happier. We watched the match at the house I have rented in Wimbledon. Me, Toni, Rafa Maymo, Benito from my team, Feliciano Lopez, his girlfriend, Albert Costa, Richy Sanchez (coach of Jankovic), Toni Estalella and Gabriel Urpi (coach of Penetta) are the ones that watched the match here.

Great atmosphere!!! Feli as always very critical with the whole match except with his friends Sergio Ramos and Casillas hahahahahaha. But I suppose because we were all nervous. I hope Spain will win. We broke this June 22nd thing and we won in penalties! I can say I was not nervous before the match and you might think that's normal, but everybody around was nervous. I wasn't because I had a lot of faith on our team, but as the match started and the minutes passed I was starting to get nervous. As the 90 minutes approached then I was really nervous. I am sure you do not want me to do a whole analysis of the match (although I like to do this) but wow. I jumped unbelievable when we won. I believed on the victory but you know it is always difficult against Italy!

So my day, apart from this moment was a normal day at the club. I practiced twice yesterday as I normally do before the competition starts. Once the competition has started then I normally practice only once. We do this, or at least I do it, to save energy for the matches. Unless I am playing really bad and then I need to practice more this is the way I do it.

Then I go to the locker room to debrief with Toni and Maymo. The only negative thing so far is that the tournament only gives us one badge to get into the locker room. That means that Maymo, who is always with me taking care of my body, taping me, etc, can't have access this year to the locker room. I don't think this is normal since he is my physiotherapist, he is a professional, he goes at every locker room and I need him inside. We have asked the organization and they say only one, Toni or Rafa. Very strange and unfortunate. But it is not my tournament so I don't make the rules

Anyway, for the rest everything well and I'm looking forward to the start of the competition, my competition!

Many thanks,

Rafa