“My Goal Cannot be Number One” – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal clinched his first title of the season at the Mexican Open 2020, last week. The Spaniard is still 370 points behind Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings, standing at the second position. However, why is Nadal not focusing on the No.1 ranking?

The 33-year-old lost his No.1 spot to Djokovic following the Australian Open 2020. The Serbian returned to the top spot for the first time since losing it in October 2019. As a defending runner-up, Nadal suffered a quarterfinal loss to Dominic Thiem in Melbourne. Djokovic needed to win the title in order to overtake the Spaniard and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

“I have not thought about that for a long time”: Rafael Nadal

The 17-time Grand Slam winner admitted that rather than being the top-ranked player he is focusing on being competitive for as long as possible and thereby extend his career.

“I have not thought about that for a long time, My goal cannot be number one,” Nadal said to Tennis Shot in Mexico. “If the opportunity presents itself later, like last year, very happy about it. But my priorities are to be competitive as long as possible and try to extend my career as much as possible.”

“For this, the calendar must be conservative, according to the needs of my body, my personal life, and happiness”. “I play where it makes me happy and I have the best options to enjoy and play well,” he added.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal’s Rituals: The Mechanism Behind the Rhythm

No.1 ranking scenario for Djokovic and Nadal

Novak Djokovic, who defended his title at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2020 last week, stands at the first position with 10,220 points. Not far behind stands Nadal with 9,850 points.

The Serbian will at least have to reach the semifinals to retain the top spot in the world rankings. On the other hand, Nadal will have to clinch his fourth Indian Wells Masters title and hope Djokovic not reach the last four to regain the No.1 rank.