Speaking ahead of his Wednesday evening match against Tommy Paul in the Rolex Paris Masters, Rafael Nadal said that video calls are helping to ease the homesickness he is feeling since the birth of his son on October 8.
He acknowledged that video calls are helping to cushion the pain of not being with him. "It's positive to have video calls, because I can see the little one as many times as he wants, something that other generations couldn't do. So, it is less hard." On being a father, he said that it is "a very different change" and is taking time to adapt to, but that it is "a positive change".
On the eve of his return to competition, Nadal explained that his goal is to go "day by day" and to remain competitive for the rest of a year that has had "some very good moments" (winning the Australian and French Opens) and some "very difficult ones" (injuries at Wimbledon and at the US Open).
Currently number two in the world behind fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal stressed that he is no longer fighting to be number one. "I am only fighting to be competitive in all the events I play. I have been fighting to be so for a long time and I have achieved this."