Nadal: "It doesn't change anything for me".
With just a few weeks to go before his final retirement, Rafael Nadal gave a lengthy interview to our Spanish colleagues at AS.
Reflecting on his Grand Slam record and the comparisons made between himself (22 titles), Novak Djokovic (24 titles) and Roger Federer (20 titles), he explained: "I'm coming to the end of my career and, to be honest, it doesn't change anything for me to have 22 Grand Slam titles and Federer 20.
And I don't think I wouldn't be happier or more satisfied if I had 25, one more than Djokovic's 24. I say that from the bottom of my heart.
Of course I'd like to have 25, there's no doubt about that, because that's what sport is all about, trying to be the best. But once it's over, you appreciate what you've done.
I think you appreciate the fact that you've managed to give your best, to live, to make one of your childhood hobbies a very important part of your life.
And, what's more, successfully. I feel very lucky, beyond the injuries. The fact that I've had all these problems, and I really mean that, has enabled me to appreciate all the positive things that have happened to me at any given time.
I think it's allowed me to enjoy them."
