Emotional Nadal rules out calendar Grand Slam

Rafael Nadal on Monday ruled out an assault on a calendar year Grand Slam, a mission so intimidating that only two men have ever achieved it in the sport’s history. Nadal completed a career Grand Slam in New York in 2010, but winning all four majors in the same year has only been achieved by Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969). ‘To win all four Grand Slams in one year I think today is impossible for anyone. That’s my feeling,’ said Nadal, who now has eight French Opens, two Wimbledon, two US Open and an Australian title amongst his 60 career crowns.

‘Today the best players are there all the time, so to win a tournament like this you have to win against Roger, against David (Ferrer), against Andy, against Novak. ‘These players are not losing in the early rounds, so that makes it impossible be 100% in every tournament. So when your level is a little bit lower, you will lose against these players 100%.’ If he keeps winning majors – the French is almost his personal property, Wimbledon lately a mystery to him and the hard-courts of Melbourne and New York now back within his ambition – he has time to overhaul Federer.