PHOTOS/VIDEO: Rafael Nadal's pre-tournament press conference at Rome Masters 2019

“I am feeling good. I'm happy to be back here in Rome. I took a day off yesterday. I had a good sleep tonight. Just excited to be back in this special place for me. Try to have a good practice this afternoon, and let's see if I am ready to compete at the level that I want to do". 

“I feel good. It's true that I didn't win a title, but it's true that my feeling is, for example, maybe in 2015 I won Buenos Aires, I think, but the feeling is much better.” 

“Sometimes winning a title or not doesn't make a big difference. I didn't win a title. It's true I missed a couple of tournaments. At the same time it's true that when I was playing, I was close to winning it. I didn't play good enough to win, but I didn't play very bad. I am there. I have been in... four semi-finals in a row, since Indian Wells. But that's it. That's tennis: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

“It's true that I lost a couple of matches that, playing good, probably I will win. But that's how it works.” 

"I have a lot of work. For a start, I have a match against Chardy or Gasquet, everything else for me now does not matter, ”

Photos: Getty Images; AFP; Gazzettino; Rome Masters; AP

• 1st practice