Rafael Nadal claims he "doesn't know" if he is the favorite at Roland Garros, says it is "hard to envision" breaking Roger Federer's Slam record
Rafael Nadal has played down the hype surrounding his bid for a record-extending 14th Roland Garros crown, claiming he does not know if he is a favorite for the title this year.
With a 100-2 win-loss record in the French capital, Rafael Nadal is the clear favorite every time he sets foot on the court. Even though the Spaniard is now 34 and has battled a spate of injuries in recent years, he has shown no signs of slowing down and remains the toughest nut to crack in Paris.
Speaking to FranceTV ahead of his first-round clash with Alexei Popyrin, Nadal said the 'favorite' tag was the last thing on his mind.
"It (being the favorite) doesn't matter, and I don't even know, if I'm a favorite," said Rafael Nadal. "This is not what concerns me. This is important to you. For me, what matters is to play as well as possible, and get to my best level, to have the opportunity to do something important. The favorite is always the same, it is the one who will play the best and who will lift the cup on the second Sunday."
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are currently level at 20 Grand Slams, but the Spaniard is widely tipped to surpass the Swiss over the next fortnight with victory in Paris.
Nadal revealed he was not looking that far into the future with his focus entirely on his first-round clash with Popyrin.
"It's hard to envision it," Rafael Nadal added. "It's a possibility, everyone knows it, but I have to find my way in this tournament. First of all this match against Alexei Popyrin who is a youngster with a lot of talent and potential. Here I am: to be the best prepared to start the tournament and to chart my course, day after day, training after training, little by little, trying to improve myself and be as ready as possible."
When asked who he considers his biggest threats this year, Rafael Nadal named the usual suspects: Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Dominic Thiem.
"Novak, Tsitsipas, Zverev, Dominic Thiem," Nadal said. "There are a lot of young people too like Andrey Rublev and Diego Schwartzman. There are a lot of opponents with a good level but for me, today, my biggest rival is Popyrin because I am sure that I will face him."
"You have to live in the present" - Rafael Nadal on the possibility of winning a 14th French Open title
Rafael Nadal has taken part in the French Open 16 times and has emerged victorious on 13 occasions. This year, the 34-year-old is gunning for a 14th title in Paris.
However, Nadal stressed the importance of staying in the present.
"Every year it's a bit of the same: arriving here, trying to do things the best way possible," the Mallorcan said. "Obviously, the results that I have obtained are incredible and I am very happy. But hey, you have to live in the present."
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