Rafael Nadal expresses desire to beat Novak Djokovic in Grand Slam title race, but says it isn't an 'obsession' for him
Rafael Nadal said that while he wants to the record for the most number of Grand Slam singles titles, he isn't obsessively concerned about it.
The Spaniard (20) was tied with his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most number of Majors by a male tennis player by the end of 2021. However, he surpassed them this year when he won the Australian Open and the French Open. Djokovic then narrowed the gap by winning his 21st Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
While speaking to Spanish newspaper MARCA, Nadal said that while the competitive side of him would want to hold the record for most Grand Slams. That said, he stated that he is happy with his achievements and won't lose sleep if the record eludes him.
"Of course I would like to be the one who ends up with the biggest ones. Yes of course. I am a competitor, without a doubt, but for me it has never been an obsession nor will it be. Well, it may be an illusion, but not an obsession at all," he said.
"In the end I always say the same thing and I can only thank life for everything it has made me live for so many years, not only as a tennis player but as a sports fan, because I have been able to experience many things that I would never have dreamed of when I was a kid," he added.
"I've been more of a rival to Novak than Roger" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have dominated the men's tour for more than 20 years, winning a combined 63 Grand Slam titles. They have faced each in multiple Major finals, besides other big matches, over the years.
Speaking about his Big 3 rivals, Nadal stated that while he was Federer's first great rival, he has been more of a rival to Djokovic than the Swiss maestro in recent years.
"It is true that I am Federer's first great rival so I understand that he sees it this way. Then, when Novak arrives, it's true that Federer is still better than me but in later years I win more than Roger so I've also met Djokovic more times on court. In other words, I've been more of a rival to him than Roger," he explained.
The King of Clay also stated that Federer, Djokovic and himself pushing themselves to the limit is the reason why they all are competitive despite being on the wrong end of their 30s.
"In the end I see it as something positive because it is true that between the three of us we have taken a lot away but I don't think any one would have reached 35 years of age or more while being that competitive without the other two. Federer, Djokovic and I have pushed ourselves to the limit, to improve, to always be wanting and wanting more," he said.