Rafael Nadal is OK with being ranked No. 2 in the world for now.
With Nadal beating Roger Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon finals, the Swiss star's grip on the top ranking is at its most vulnerable point since he became No. 1 more than four years ago.
If they continue to perform as well as the other in the Masters events this week in Toronto and next week in Cincinnati, then the ATP says Nadal could usurp Federer as No. 1 by mid-August, if not at the US Open, where Federer is the four-time defending champion.
"I don't think nobody doesn't want to be No. 1," Nadal said on Monday. "I want to be No. 1 for sure but right now I don't want to be No. 1.
"Right now, I want to play a very good tournament here in Toronto."
But even if the rankings don't say so many already believe Nadal is the world's best player, including Boris Becker, the 1986 Rogers Cup champion who was included in the tournament's Hall of Fame on Monday.
"Obviously in the world rankings there is still a No. 1 called Federer," Becker said. "But I think if you talk to anybody in the world of tennis who is considered for now the No. 1 player in the world, it's the winner of the French Open and Wimbledon.
"I think there's a change in the position at the moment. I think it's a case where Nadal has just improved to a level that nobody expected. Federer is playing as good as always.
"But you can only give credit to Nadal for really raising his game to another level and winning."
Becker believed tennis benefited from the rivalry like that of Federer and Nadal.
"Tennis needs players that bring out the best in each other," he said. "Tennis is in a good place right now having Federer and Nadal really at the very top of their careers.
"Whoever saw the Wimbledon final, I was just amazed at the quality of play from both players."
Nadal said he hasn't watched a repeat on television of the Wimbledon final, one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
"I only watch some points," he said. "But I don't watch the final."
And despite his success this season, Nadal doesn't believe he should be considered the man to beat in tennis.
"I don't think so," he said. "I am playing a good season but if I lost the final at Wimbledon, the season doesn't change too much.
"So I'm happy with how I'm playing ... but I'm still with the same motivation for continuing to improve my tennis."
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily July 23, 2008)