Rafael Nadal has swatted away questions about joining Roger Federer as a 20-times grand slam champion in the same manner in which he cast aside his hapless first-round Australian Open opponent.
The world No.1 cruised into the Australian Open second round on Tuesday with a 6-2 6-3 6-0 defeat of Hugo Dellien before refusing point blank to discuss his title chances.
Nadal said he was focused exclusively on his second-round opponent – Federico Delbonis or Joao Sousa on Thursday.
“I never worked the other way,” he said.
“”Honestly, I think another way is being very arrogant. Every day when you go on court, you can lose and you can win. There’s no other way to approach the tournament.”
But after winning the first five games then the last eight in a rampant opener, the fact is Nadal is now six wins shy of matching Federer’s all-time record 20 singles slams at Melbourne Park.
“No. I think about Sousa or Delbonis. That’s all,” the Spaniard said.
“I think about my practice of tomorrow, try to follow up the level of tennis that I played in the third set. That should be my main goal today, no?
“I need to play at my highest level if I want to keep going on in the tournament.
“If I am able to reach my highest level, that’s the thing that I have to worry about. If I am able to play at my highest level, normally I am able to produce some good chances. If not, impossible.
“So I don’t care about 20 or 15 or 16. I just care about trying to keep going, keep enjoying my tennis career. Is not like 20 is the number that I need to reach.
“If I reach 20, fantastic. If I reach 21, better. If I reach 19, super happy about all the things that I did in my tennis career.”
Nadal secured his place among the sport’s all-time greats long ago.
“I am very satisfied about my tennis career because I give it all most of the time,” he said.
“I don’t think in the future achieving 21 grand slams, for example, I’m going to be happier than if I am 19 in 10 years.”
After a gruelling start to the season, featuring eight matches at the ATP Cup in nine days, Nadal was delighted to progress to the second round without dropping a set.
“It’s been a positive start. What you want in the first round is to win – and in straight sets is better,” said the 2009 champion and five-times finalist.
“I finished late in the season at Davis Cup and started with a very demanding competition at ATP Cup.
“Last week I started slower and then increased the intensity later in the week to try to be competitive here.”
