World number two Rafael Nadal began his campaign at the China Open 2013 on Tuesday with a victory against Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-4 and during the post-match interview, the Spaniard was asked about his thoughts on possibly overtaking the overall Grand Slam singles haul of rival Roger Federer. Tennis legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi believe that Nadal can overtake Federer before ending his tennis career.
“Here we are, 27 years old, and it’s much more than what I ever dreamed,” said Nadal. “So I’m going to try to keep working hard. If I’m able to do it, if I am able to be healthy and to compete well for the next four years, I am going to try to create opportunities to keep winning in important tournaments.
“If that happens, I will have the chance to keep being at the top. If I am at the top, I will have a chance to win more tournaments. But to overtake Roger is something that nobody did in I don’t know how many years of history. So it’s going to be a big coincidence if that happens in a period of ten years.
“[Whether it happens or not], the only thing I am sure of is when I am going to leave this tour, I am going to be very happy about what I did. I tried everything in every practice, in every match. I gave everything.”
Nadal is a former champion in China, having secured the title in 2004. He will be able to reclaim the world number one ranking if he reaches at least the final or if top-ranked and defending champion Novak Djokovic posts less than stellar results in Beijing.
