Australian Open will be my ‘last chance in life’ to bag Grand Slam equivalent: Rafael Nadal

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal reckons that winning next week’s Australian Open is his only chance of owning all four major titles at the same time, a feat not accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969.

Nadal currently holds the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.

When asked if he is thinking about the prospect of winning in Melbourne and holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, Nadal said: “What’s in my head is trying to be very competitive. That’s what’s in my head and to try to play well in the first round.”

“After that it’s difficult to think more when you are playing a very difficult tournament like the Australian Open. For sure it’s extra motivation, but the motivation is to play well in Australia, not to win the fourth in a row.”

“I’m sure this will be the only one opportunity that I’ll have in my life. I won’t have more of these opportunities to win all four in a row,” he added.

The 24-year-old further believes that it is impossible to win all four majors in a calendar year.

“I don’t know whether it would be possible for another player, but I think it would be almost impossible for me,” the Independent quoted Nadal, as saying.

“Firstly you have a lot of very good rivals and then you have to be playing really well before tournaments. It’s impossible to win a Grand Slam without playing your best tennis.”

“A lot of factors have to come together: you have to be lucky, you have to be playing well, everything. So I think that’s almost impossible,” he added.