"I swear to you I didn't know I could become World No. 1 in Rotterdam" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal's decision to enter the ABN-AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam has led to plenty of speculation among fans of the Big 3. The Spaniard confirmed his entry for the ATP 500 event last week, in a move that surprised many given that he has not played in Rotterdam since 2009.
What has made the announcement particularly intriguing is the fact that Rafael Nadal's entry into the tournament gives him an outside chance to become World No. 1 in early March. Should Rafael Nadal win the ATP Cup, the Australian Open and the Rotterdam event, he will gain enough points to overtake Novak Djokovic and become World No. 1 on 8 March.
That is the same date Novak Djokovic is set to break Roger Federer's record of 310 weeks as World No. 1 - assuming the Serb manages to remain on top of the rankings till then.
But in a recent interview with ESPN, Rafael Nadal claimed he had no knowledge of the No. 1 implications of his entry into the Rotterdam tournament. The 13-time French Open champion asserted that he signed up for the Rotterdam event simply because the Indian Wells Masters, usually held in March, has been postponed this year.
"I swear to you I didn't know that in Rotterdam I could be No. 1 in the world," Rafael Nadal said. "I don't believe in destiny, each one forges it. Years ago, maybe I thought about it, now I don't. It is never the objective directly, if the results are good to get there , fantastic and super happy, but I signed up in Rotterdam because Indian Wells is not played."
"If I have to choose a record now, it would be that one" - Rafael Nadal on the record for most Majors in men's tennis
During the interview, Rafael Nadal also claimed that one of his biggest goals right now is the record for most Grand Slam singles titles in men' tennis.
Nadal and Roger Federer are currently tied at 20 Grand Slams each, followed closely by current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic who has won 17 Majors. The Spaniard could take sole possession of the record if he wins either the upcoming Australian Open or the French Open.
"If I have to choose a record now, it would be that one," Nadal said. "But I don't continually think about it. It is not a cliche or a pose. I would love to but I have always worked in a different way. Not just because I'm 20 does my motivation change. I'm always looking forward to it."