There is nothing like playing at home, and nobody knows this better than Rafael Nadal, who spoke about the Caja Mágica after a tough test against Fabio Fognini. 
 
“I think here in Madrid we have to be very satisfied and very proud because we have one of the best tournaments in the world”, said the four-time Mutua Madrid Open champion. 
 
“There’s no doubt about that. The facilities here are amazing. It’s difficult for other tournaments to better this one. It’s difficult to have any other tournament like this in Madrid. We have to look after it. We have to be very proud of it. If some day we lose this tournament in Madrid, it’s going to be impossible to have again another one like this one in Spain”, Nadal was keen to point out. 
 
The Spaniard analyzed his tie with Fognini: “Talking about the game in general, it’s quite simple; I think there was a moment where he was playing really well. There was another moment where both of us played really badly. The third set, we levelled up”. 
 
“If tomorrow I don’t play well, I will go home because tomorrow’s opponent will be very difficult”, said Nadal referring to Nick Kyrgios. “I hope that tomorrow I will be playing better and I will be able to make it through tomorrow’s round”.
 
“During the year there are always ups and downs. There are matches that you play well, matches that you play badly. The matches you don’t play very well in, you manage to make it through, they are very important. They give you a lot of confidence. Mentally they make you stronger. I think that this is very important. It’s something we have to take from today. That’s what really good players do”. And that is just what he did, in the refuge of the Caja Mágica, Nadal held strong.