I said to him on that first day, ‘If I ever see you throw a racket, then it is over’. For me it is unacceptable that a kid breaks a racket. I told Rafa they are expensive and there are a lot of people who cannot afford them. He listened well and that is why he never shows his anger in that way on a court.Ever since Rafa was a young child, I have told him, ‘When you lose, it is your fault, not mine. It is not the rackets, not the balls, not the wind’. It’s true. In life there are so many people who have other excuses. For me it is very bad when you have a problem and you have a bad face.
I looked at Rafa as he cried and I did not like it. I said, ‘You must not do that. It would be the same as me crying just because I don’t have a Jaguar motor car’. He told me it was maybe his last opportunity to win Wimbledon. I said he was the champion of Roland Garros and No 2 player in the world. I told him his life does not change because he has not won this match.I said he could be sad for one week but there would be another Wimbledon and other finals. Rafa had no reason to cry, and here we are again.
