Spaniard Rafael Nadal expressed his joy after reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open, stressing that it was time to raise his level if he wants to compete for the last Grand Slam tournament of this year.

“All these victories give me a strong incentive to develop and take a step forward,” Nadal said after defeating the Frenchman Richard Gasquet with a score of 6:0, 6:1, 7:5.

He explained: “I need to be more prepared to play and improve in the second week of the tournament against a great player like Francis Tiafoe, I hope I can achieve that.”

He continued: “If you want to continue to develop in the championship, yesterday I raised my level and I need to repeat this in the next match.”

And about his opponent at the final price, the American Francis Tiafoe, he confirmed: “He plays great, has improved a lot and is stronger than before, has experience and has played in larger tournaments and advanced stages.”

Johnny Khoury