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Nadal: Tired but keen to win
"It's a very, very special experience, unforgettable to be at the Olympic Games and see everybody at the athletes' village who you only see on television."
Rafael Nadal
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Incoming world number one Rafael Nadal says he will not be stopping to savour his latest achievement as he launches his bid to win the Olympic gold medal.
The Spanish superstar arrived in Beijing on the back of a fantastic season to date, which saw him claim a fourth French Open crown in a row and also finally get the better of Roger Federer to win Wimbledon.
After dominating in recent months, Nadal will also end Federer's long reign at the top of the world rankings on August 18 as a consequence of the two players' recent results.
Nadal has no desire to stop and admire the view from the top of the world standings though, and is fully focused on claiming Olympic gold.
"To be number one is a great thing," said Nadal.
Achievement
"For many years I have been battling to achieve this and it would be great, but right now I don't have any plans to enjoy that.
"I'm going to enjoy competing in the Olympic Games. It's a very different experience and I want to live with the Olympic experience."
Nadal finally lost a 32-game unbeaten streak, which included five titles, with a Cincinnati Masters semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic.
Arriving in China exhausted after his recent efforts and suffering from jet-lag, Nadal is still desperate to claim Olympic gold.
"I've had practically no rest days," he said.
"I had a week off after Wimbledon, in the US I played well but also a lot of matches so physically I have a few days to recover.
"I'm still jetlagged, there are 12 hours difference coming here but I still have a few days to recover and I hope that by Monday I will be fine and be able to do my best effort."
Village people
Nadal will savour the unique atmosphere of the athletes' village in Beijing, and is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the world's best sportsmen and women.
"It's a very, very special experience, unforgettable to be at the Olympic Games and see everybody at the athletes' village who you only see on television," he said.
"It really is a marvellous experience.
"It's been a fantastic year for Spain and we will see what happens here.
"People don't value or can't really see the difficulty in achieving these victories.
"We have achieved what we have achieved and we will see what happens here."
