I am not Spain’s Greatest Athlete – Nadal

MADRID – U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal returned home on Wednesday, insisting his latest tennis triumph did not qualify him as Spain's greatest-ever athlete.

Nadal, who became the seventh player to complete a career grand slam with Monday's victory at Flushing Meadows, said any comparisons to the greats was "madness."

"As a tennis player I took an important step forward with this and these have been six unforgettable months," Nadal said shortly after touching down from New York at Madrid's Barajas airport. "I can't say that I'm the best Spanish sports person of all time because I have no idea. But it's an honor to be considered."

Nadal's 2010 triumphs, including French Open and Wimbledon titles, have brought his total of major championships to nine at age 24.
His successful season has been a big part of a tremendous year of international sporting success for Spain, which won soccer's World Cup for the fist time and saw Alberto Contador win his third Tour de France.

"I don't know where (my successes) fit into this year. They are all important," the top-ranked Nadal said. "Luckily, we're living during an era of Spanish sport that will be difficult to repeat. Of course we could repeat it, but we should enjoy it (now)."
Among Spain's greatest athletes are the likes of five-time Tour champion Miguel Indurain and two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso.

While Nadal has replaced four-time major champion Manolo Santana as the country's greatest tennis player, the Mallorca native still feels he has room for improvement.

"I'm not a complete player — there are always things I can improve," Nadal said. "(But) I'm so happy with everything that happened and can't ask for anything more"

Nadal said winning three majors in 2010 wasn't necessarily better than 2008, when he won his first Wimbledon crown and Olympic gold, something he considered more difficult than a Grand Slam title given the four-year gap between Olympic games. He also preferred to wait and see how he fares in November's World Tours Final in London.

Nadal, whose improved serve helped him drop only one set at the US Open en route to beating Novak Djokovic in the final, said his main rival Roger Federer was still the benchmark of the sport and should not be written off yet.

The second-ranked Swiss player, who has won a record 16 major singles titles, wasted two match points in his semifinal defeat to Djokovic.

"I would love to have the success of Federer," Nadal said. "In nine years he's achieved things that are practically impossible to repeat. It's difficult to be 100 percent each year, but he's managed to do it and it's normal to have a little drop."

Nadal Tennis Dominance Continues

Rafael Nadal gusted to a fifth Rome Masters title in six years and afterward exposed that he is losing none of the fire that has seen him dominate clay tennis since 2005.

The 23-year-old world number three in line American legend Andre Agassi's record of 17 Masters titles as he outdoes compatriot and 13th seed David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 at the Foro Italico.

Capturing his overall record on clay to 191 wins to just 17 defeats most of which were in his early career.

He has won the Monte Carlo Masters six consecutive, won Rome five times in six years, won Barcelona five years in a row before leave out it this season and will be aiming for a fifth win in six years at Roland Garros later this month.

Nadal's clay court supremacy seemed to reach its peak two weeks ago in Monte Carlo when he dropped just 14 games on road to the title.

Known how he is playing at the moment it's easy to forget that until winning in Monte Carlo, he had left more than 11 months without lifting a trophy, a period where he was overwhelmed by knee injuries.

Fernando Verdasco, the man he beat in that Monte Carlo final, believes he cannot be stopped.

"Everybody has different view but I think he is the best player ever on clay and it's amazing what he has done in the past years, he added.

Before encountering Nadal in the Rome final Ferrer was asked if he agreed with Verdasco that he would't be able to bang Nadal if he was on top of his game.