"I didn't care when we were tied and I don't care now when I'm two up" - Rafael Nadal on Grand Slam race with Federer and Djokovic
Rafael Nadal has claimed that he is not bothered by how his Grand Slam tally matches up to those of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Nadal recently clinched his 22nd Major title, taking him two above Djokovic and Federer, who are both tied at 20.
When asked for his thoughts on the GOAT debate during a recent interview with the ATP, Nadal stressed that the race is still wide open. He added that Djokovic continues to operate at a "spectacular level," and also believes Federer can never be ruled out despite his age and recent injury concerns.
"Anything can happen. It is evident that Novak is the one who is in a clearer position to be able to overcome that because he has no physical problems, and he is at a spectacular level," Nadal said.
"Federer has been away for a long time and you always have to expect something special from him, but we all know how difficult it is to come back, and even at 40 years old," he added.
The Mallorcan insisted that he has never been bothered by the statistics and that he simply wants to keep competing.
"We'll see what happens. Like I've always said: I didn't care when we were tied and I don't care now when I'm two up. I just want to keep competing."
"Rather than win the Grand Slam, I would sign on to play all four" - Rafael Nadal on chasing the Calendar Grand Slam
Rafael Nadal's triumph at Roland Garros has fuelled chatter about the Spaniard potentially achieving the Calendar Grand Slam. He pocketed the Australian Open earlier this year, beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Nadal has achieved more success at Wimbledon and at the US Open than he has in Melbourne. This has led fans to believe that the Spaniard might be able to win all four Majors should he remain fit.
When asked for his thoughts on the matter, the 36-year-old stated that he would be happy just to be in a position to participate in the remaining two Slams.
"Yes, it's crazy, even being perfect it seems to me," he said. "No one has since Rod Laver, Djokovic was the closest last year. Rather than win the Grand Slam, I would sign on to play all four."
The Spaniard needed anesthetic injections to his foot during the French Open, without which he would have had to play under an immense amount of pain. He has been suffering from Mueller-Weiss syndrome since the start of his career but has seen his condition worsen in the last 12 months.