London, Aug 4 (ANI): Bolstered by his wins at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, Nadal will remain No 1 on the ATP list, irrespective of his performance in the Beijing Olympics beginning Friday, followed by the Davis Cup, but he has delayed celebrating his No 1 status till after these two tournaments.
The swashbuckling Spaniard who has won seven titles this season, will officially takeover the top spot from Roger Federer in a fortnight, reported The Telegraph.
But fiesta time for clan Nadal at the family compound in Mallorca will be delayed until September, after Spain host the United States in a Davis Cup semi-final in Madrid on clay.
A jubilant Nadal said that he is happy to earn this slot on the ATP after a long hard work. "I feel happy because to be No 1 is hard work for a long, long time. But there is no time to be excited and be happy and enjoy. I have Olympics in one week. I'm playing the best summer hard season in my life, I'm very happy for that. I won Wimbledon and I won Toronto, then I played Cincinnati - there is no time to enjoy anything. I have to be very focused all the time," the paper quoted the 22-year-old Nadal as saying in his improvised English accent.
He added: "I'm in a good position, a very good position. The goal is only to keep playing like this and continuing to improve my tennis. I want to have more chances to keep winning important tournaments on this [hardcourt] surface."
According to the paper, Nadal's takeover of the top spot has been a patient, long-term project, guided by the steady hand of his uncle, Toni, whose quiet, dignified demeanour has also helped to mould the unassuming character of his talented nephew.
Nadal will become the 24th man in the 25-year history of the rankings to hold the No 1 position, joining compatriots Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero, who were top for periods in 1999 and 2003 respectively. (ANI)
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