Tennis: Rafael Nadal Has Other Priorities Over Being World Number One

Rafael Nadal has experienced success in different forms in his already illustrious career. He’s hoisted up multiple Grand Slam titles, he’s broken records, and he’s beaten opponents in a dominant fashion. While Nadal and Novak Djokovic are neck and neck in the race to being number one in the world, the Spaniard shared that it’s not his main priority.

Per Essentially Sports, Nadal quipped that while claiming the top spot is nice to have, he’s looking forward to the longevity of his career than anything else. “I have not thought about that for a long time. My goal cannot be number one,” Nadal said.

He later continues by saying that if the opportunity presents itself like before then he’ll be happy about it. He’s not denying that it’s a feat but he’s clear that it’s not on top of his main concerns. “But my priorities are to be competitive as long as possible and try to extend my career as much as possible.”

Nadal is currently 33 years old and is five years younger than Roger Federer. Federer holds the majority of the records in tennis with his legendary career still going strong. The Swiss player is already 38 years old but is still on top of the tennis standings in terms of Major championships and Grand Slam matches won.

If Nadal maintains his fitness and health then he’s in a good position to overtake Federer. He’s already at 19 Grand Slams won and is one away from reaching Federer’s 20. Nadal is favored to win Roland Garros as he’s gearing up for a 13th French Open title. The King of Clay as he’s fondly called has won the last three years and is in position to win his fourth straight. His longest streak on clay was five championships won from 2010 to 2014.

Nadal has taken a more careful approach to his body and is seeking the best method to further improve moving forward in years to come. “For this, the calendar must be conservative, according to the needs of my body, my personal life, and happiness,” Nadal said.