Nadal Receives Samaranch Prize; Battle For No. 1 Set To Resume In Madrid

© AFP/Getty ImagesSpanish players Carlos Moyá y Virginia Ruano were also honoured at the awards ceremony in Madrid.

Rafael Nadal concedes that there is a strong chance he will lose the No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking to Novak Djokovic within the next few months, even if he repeats his perfect clay-court sweep through Roland Garros.

Speaking after being awarded the international Juan Antonio Samaranch Prize in Madrid, Nadal said that even winning ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Madrid and Rome the next two weeks and a sixth Roland Garros title may not be enough to hold the surging Serb at bay.

“Djokovic has a good chance of being No. 1 in the next two or three months,” said Nadal, who is the top seed in Madrid, which begins Sunday. “I could lose the No. 1 ranking even if I win nearly everything and this isn’t normal. He has very little to defend and I am defending a lot of points through to Wimbledon. For me, what is important, is the points at the end of the year.”

Last year Nadal won all three clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and Roland Garros. He began this year's European clay-court season by winning his seventh consecutive title in Monte-Carlo, followed by a sixth title in Barcelona.

Nadal was honoured Thursday in Madrid as he received the Samaranch Prize in recognition of the success he has achieved in recent years and for the sporting values he has shown throughout his career.

Upon receiving the award, the 24-year-old Nadal said he felt “very proud” and was touched to receive a prize in Samaranch's name. The Mallorcan described Samaranch, the Spanish former President of the International Olympic Committee who died last year, as “a great ambassador, an extraordinary person, and it is to him that we sportsmen owe all the privileges we have.”

Albert Soler, the Secretary of State for Sport hailed Nadal as the “indisputable winner” of this prize, because he is “one of the most complete sportsmen and one of the best examples of fundamental sporting values.”

Nadal arrived in Madrid early, so as to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Bernebeu on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday began his preparations for the Mutua Madrid Open.

The Mallorcan is riding a 34-match winning streak on clay and is looking to retain the trophy at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court event, where he defeated his great rival Roger Federer in the final last year.

There is the possibility of a much-anticipated match-up between Nadal and World No. 2 Djokovic in the final at the Caja Magica, but Nadal insisted on Friday that he was focussed only on his first opponent.

“Djokovic is absolutely not my concern, I can only face him in the final” declared Nadal of the Serbian, who has a perfect 25-0 record in 2011. “My concerns are always the first player I will face, my physical well being, and avoiding injury.”

The battle for No. 1 has been a well-documented topic this season, with Nadal, Djokovic and Federer the standout players challenging for the coveted year-end No. 1 spot in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings. While Nadal acknowledged he was “very satisfied” with his start to the season, he was quick to point out Australian Open champion Djokovic is currently the frontrunner.

Looking ahead specifically to the Mutua Madrid Open, where he is a two-time former winner, Nadal said, “We’ll see what happens. I think I have played well in the past few tournaments, but every tournament is different. To play in Madrid, at home, is very special and I have in mind how much support I have received from this crowd; I can’t forget it.”