With his first triumph in the ATP circuit, before the Paraguayan Delgado in Mallorca, with 15 years and 10 months, Rafael Nadal began writing one of the most beautiful pages in Spanish sport. Today, nearly seven years later, the Prince of Asturias Award recognizes an extraordinary career, yet to be written, it has risen to the top of world ranking after a course indelible 2008.

Nadal happens in the prize to German Michael Schumacher after winning (18, joined the 24 votes) to U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, the athlete with most Olympic gold medals (14) after eight conquered in Beijing, the Jamaican s[+]

The Majorcan seek to gain a tournament IN WHICH has never semifinals

Before the start of the U.S. Open, said Rafa Nadal does not feel "added pressure to cope with the U.S. Open as world number one" after oust officially on Monday to Roger Federer at the top of the ranking of entries, which will debut in fourth and final Grand Slam of the season.

The recent Olympic champion said that "pressure is the same, when you have the objective is to win, given the same". Moreover, the Balearic acknowledged being "very happy being number one" because it is "a great satisfaction after so long at the number two, but things do not change much."

The Spanish player, who defeated David Ferrer fell in eighths of last year and has not yet reached the U.S. semifinals of the tournament, also insisted that "it is being a fantastic season, "adding that" big is the last of the season, so it will arouse much interest throughout the world. If I play a good tournament will be great because I can assure longer number one. "

Nadal Ivanovic and the head of the U.S. Open series in 2008

The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and serbia Ana Ivanovic premieres in a Grand Slam tournament of their respective terms of world number one, to be located on Tuesday as early favorites of individual Open table tennis United States.



According to the list released by the U.S. Tennis Federation (USTA), Nadal, newly crowned Olympic champion in Beijing, heads a select field that includes 10 Champions Grand Slams, including the former number one of ATP, Swiss Roger Federer, second-seeded in New York.

The U.S. Open, the last of the four biggest tournaments of the season, will be played from August 25 to September 7 in the courts of Flushing Meadows in New York.

Nadal, aged 22, was released on Monday in Firstly the ATP ranking, displacing Federer, who defended the position in the course of 237 consecutive weeks.

The Mallorcan tennis player has won eight of the last ten tournaments he has played, including two Grand Slam: Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

In Flushing Meadows will seek his ninth title of the year and 31 of his career in a tournament on fast tracks which so far has been very elusive.

The Spanish attempts to become the first man in the same year won Roland Garros, Wimbledon and U.S. Open, since the legendary Rod Laver do so in 1969.

Behind Nadal and Federer were located on Serbian Novak Djokovic (N.3), the Spanish David Ferrer (N.4), Russian Nikolay Davydenko (N.5), Britain's Andy Murray (n.6), the Argentinian David Nalbandian (N.7), Americans Andy Roddick (N.8) and James Blake (N.8), and Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka (N.10).

Nalbandián is the best Latino ranked among the 32 seeded men's table, and that includes the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (n.11) and the surprising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (n.17), winner of four successive tournaments this year.

The serbia Ivanovic, 20 years and who won his first Grand Slam title this season in the French Open, ha ido rising as the foam and will be seeking its third parchment of 2008.

Behind her compatriot Ivanovic were seeded Jelena Jankovic (N.2), Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (N.3), American Serena Williams (N.4), the twice U.S. Open champion and Russian Elena Dementieva (N.5), individual gold medal in the Olympic in Beijing.
The relationship of the 10 first planted in each branch is:

-- Women:
1. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
4. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
6. Dinara Safina (RUS) 7. Venus Williams (USA)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
9. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
10. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)


-- Men:
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2. Roger Federer (SUI)
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)
4. David Ferrer (ESP)
5. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
6. Andy Murray (GBR)
7. David Nalbandian (ARG)
8. Andy Roddick (USA)
9. James Blake (USA)
10. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)

Despite falling into the semifinals of the Masters Series in Cincinnati before the Serbian Novak Djokovic, Nadal said: "I played a very good tournament here, reaching the semifinals after winning in Toronto is almost perfect. I have the best track season lasts of my career so far, so I am very happy about it. "

Nadal, who lost (6-1 and 7-5) before 'Nolan' Djokovic in the semi-finals of Cincinnati, wanted to congratulate the Serbian because it is "doing well" in American tournament. "He played unbelievable in the first set. In the second I found myself well and at some point I felt I was playing better than him, but ultimately reached a 'break' and beat me", he said.

The winner of Roland Garros and Wimbledon assured that perhaps was not in his "best condition" but was optimistic by the way they played in the second sleeve. "In the second set I played better than previous days, so we finish the tournament with good feelings," he said.

Finally, asked about the possibility that the current number three in the ATP ranking comes in the future to be number one in the world, Nadal wanted to emphasize that until you leave the official list is the number one Swiss Roger Federer. "I think Djokovic also want to be number one, but at this moment, I'm still not the" lapsed.

After the defeat of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal has Mallorcan at your fingertips and not depend on anyone to be number 1 next Monday of the ATP.

Rafa Nadal is virtual number 1, after the defeat of Swiss Roger Federer to Ivo Karlovic. The big surprise of the tournament gave yesterday in the Croatian Ivo Karlovic, the defeat by Federer 7-6 (8 / 6), 4-6, 7-6 (7 / 5), in an intense match. He was unable to pressure him and served on a plate to his throne Nadal.

Rafa will face joined in the quarter-finals of Cincinnati Masters Series to Ecuadorian Nicolas Lapentti, executioner of Fernando Velasco, after defeat in Round to German Tommy Haas by a blunt Rafa Nadal by 6-4 and 7-6 (0 ).

If everything goes as it's meant to go, wins the Masters Series Cincinnati on Monday will officially proclaimed number one of ATP, fully deserved, after an impressive season you are doing. Bravísimo Rafa!