‘An important part of my life is leaving too,’ says emotional Rafael Nadal.
The two-times champion was talking to the BBC as the crowd chanted: ‘Rafa! Rafael!’
‘If I ever had any doubts about my competitive character I’ve put them to the back of my mind,’ said the 25-year-old from Brazil.
‘The most important thing is to stay fit, to have a good day, to enjoy the moments you have and always stay humble.
‘I don’t think there’s any competition in tennis.
‘I won it in one of the biggest titles in tennis history.’
The 25-year-old from Brazil is now the No 1 in the world but admits he has to admit it would have been far more comfortable if he had not been world No 2 at the start of the year.
‘I can’t say I’m happy that I have the No 1 spot in the world but I’ll have to put that to the back of my mind,’ he added.
‘I’m very proud but I’m satisfied, I’m in a good place, I’m playing well.
The 25-year-old is now the No 1 in the world but admitted he would have preferred to have enjoyed the No 1 spot at the start of the year before the US Open. Pictured: The two-times champion with his wife Camila Giorgi in Buenos Aires
The match between Nadal and Roger Federer at the Australian Open on January 6 was the last match of the 2018 season, which means Nadal has now played the last four finals (l. to R. Federer at Melbourne Park in December 2016, l. to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in June), the last three on clay or hard courts and the last two on grass.
Nadal beat Tomas Berdych in the last eight in Barcelona last month.
Nadal in action during his opening round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 6
Nadal has now gone into the Australian Open with a seven-match winning streak and is now 7-4 on clay, 3-2 on hard and 1-1 on grass in the major with a ranking of No. 1.
