Rafael Nadal 'doesn't care' if Djokovic, Federer end careers with more Grand Slams

Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has expressed that he doesn’t care if Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic and French tennis great Rodger Ferderer finish their careers with more Grand Slam titles than him. 35-year-old stormed into the semifinals of the ongoing Australian Open 2022, being held at the Melbourne Park by earning a hard-fought five-set victory over Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals. He will now face Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the semi-final on January 28 in a bid to go ahead of Federer and Djokovic in the list of players with the most Grand Slam titles in history. Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic, also known as the ‘The Big Three’ are currently tied with 20 Grand Slam victories each to their name. 

'We share an amazing era of the history of our sport': Nadal

As per a report by express.co.uk, following his win against Shapovalov on Tuesday, Nadal shut down the idea that a record 21st Grand Slam title is what motivates him to play. Explaining the same, Nadal said, “Well, for me, the fact that we are equal at 20, it just that the only thing that says is that we share an amazing era of the history of our sport, and for me, it's a real honor to be part of it, without a doubt”. 

“And I don't hope anything. I just keep going. I am just enjoying playing tennis, as I said hundreds of times. But honestly, and from the bottom of my heart, I really don't -- of course, I want to keep winning, but more than because I want to achieve or I want to have more than the others is because I love what I am doing, no? I want to keep doing this as long as possible, no?” Nadal added. It should also be noticed that the Spaniard earlier admitted he wasn’t even sure if he would be able to return to tour two months ago.

Rafael Nadal is ranked fifth in ATP rankings

Meanwhile, Nadal currently stands fifth in the ATP men’s singles rankings and is the only one among The Big Three to compete at the season-opening major. Djokovic’s attempt to play in the Australian Open 2022 without getting vaccinated for the Covid-19 virus was shut down by the Australian government with his deportation one day before the tournament began on January 17. At the same time, Federer is out of action, having just played five tournaments in 2021, before shutting down his season due to his right-knee injury. 

(Image: AP)