Nadal says passing Federer in Grand Slams not an obsession

Rafael Nadal has had a lengthy and healthy rivalry with Roger Federer whom he tied recently for most Grand Slams ever at 20.

Now going into the Australian Open, the Spaniard has a chance to overtake the Swiss player with a win in Melbourne. It won't be an easy task but Nadal himself does not feel the pressure:

"I did much more than what I ever dreamed in my tennis career. It would be amazing for me to win one more. But I know that will not be the key to my happiness in the future. It’s not extra pressure and it’s not an obsession."

He further elaborated:

“I keep going, doing it my way. If it happens, fantastic, but if not, I’m more than happy about everything that happened to me.”

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Nadal has shared a healthy rivalry with Roger that grew past that to become a friendship built on mutual respect. Nadal also spoke about how it motivated him to chase someone in record books:

“To have somebody in front of you that’s doing a lot of things better than you, it gives you a clear way about what you need to improve to achieve your goals. I think we always had a good relationship, a lot of respect. We did beautiful things together and important things for our sport. We push each other to be better.”

Nadal will be the 2nd set this year in Melbourne and he will be eyeing the title but it won't be easy as he will face stiff competition from the young guns and a very hungry Novak Djokovic who has reigned supreme in Australia for many years.