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Rafael Nadal recently admitted that facing a legend like the Swiss Roger Federer makes you feel different compared to any other player. Reflecting on his rivalry with Federer, Nadal said: 'Always are special matches, no, especially because always are in very important matches for both of us.

That makes always the match very special. But I play always against Roger means a little bit more than against the rest of the opponents because I am playing probably against the best of the history, and because I played probably the most important matches in my career against him and probably him against me.

So that's why it makes the match a little bit more special than the rest.' Fans have such great interest in your rivalry with Federer. In his book, Nadal said that if you silence your doubts and you increased your hopes more than Roger did that you could beat him.

Nadal commented: 'I believe everyone have doubts. I believe everybody who is not too arrogant have doubts. That's the real life. I have doubts. At the same time I believe that I can do it, but I don't think‑‑ I don't want to go to bed tonight thinking I gonna win the match of tomorrow.

I gonna go to bed tonight thinking that hopefully I will play a fantastic match and hopefully I will have my chances to win the match.That's my real thoughts. They are doubts, yes, because I don't believe that I gonna win the match.

I believe that gonna be a very difficult match for me, and I don't know if I gonna be able to play my best. I don't know if I gonna be able to win another time. But that's part of the game, and that's the beautiful things about the sport, in my opinion.

I gonna go there. I gonna fight every ball and try to play my best tennis and I hope that's gonna happen, but I don't know.' ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal: Worse players than David Ferrer won a Grand Slam title .

Serbian wins his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of 2018
Novak Djokovic just gets better and better this second half of 2018. The 31-year-old Serbian, who won his 32nd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, brought his “Big Title” haul to 51 with the straight-sets victory against Croatian Borna Coric.

Djokovic leapfrogged Rafael Nadal, who has 50, on the all-time Big Titles list. Swiss Roger Federer still leads Djokovic by two “Big Titles” – a combination of Grand Slam, Nitto ATP Finals and Masters 1000 crowns.

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But the Serbian is gaining ground, and quickly. Djokovic has won 18 consecutive matches and 27 of his past 28, dating back to Wimbledon. In Shanghai, he didn't drop his serve once, holding all 47 times at the season's penultimate Masters 1000 event. It's the first time Djokovic has never been broken en route to a title.

“This was definitely one of the best service weeks that I had in my career,” Djokovic said. “I have never played on faster courts here in Shanghai, so this year more than ever I needed a lot of success with the first serves in.”

Novak

Djokovic won his fourth Shanghai title and 32nd Masters 1000 crown, placing him within one of Nadal's all-time mark of 33. Djokovic, however, has been the most opportune of the all-time greats. He has won 51 Big Titles from 170 opportunities, a conversion rate of 3.3.

Nadal has a strike rate of 3.5 from 174 tournaments, while Federer has won a 'Big Title' every 4.2 chances (53/220).

Who would have guessed this in March when Djokovic admitted to feeling lost on the court against Japan's Taro Daniel at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells?

“Look, I think you're seeing the new Novak. I don't need to describe him. That's all I can say,” Djokovic said in Shanghai. “I had to reinvent myself and find the proper formula for success. I found it and I'm just trying to hold on to it as long as I can.”

With two more Big Titles up for grabs in 2018, Djokovic might finish the season on top of the Big Titles leaderboard – and atop the ATP Rankings. The Serbian moved into No. 2 in the ATP Rankings on Monday and is currently only 215 points behind No. 1 Nadal.

If Djokovic finishes year-end No. 1 for the fifth time, he would make history: No player has climbed from as low as he was earlier this year — No. 22 on 21 May — to No. 1 in the same season. The closest was Andre Agassi, who jumped from No. 14 in May 1999 to the top spot later that season.

Current and Former Champions' Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)

Player

Grand Slams

Nitto ATP Finals

1000s

Total (Avg)

Roger Federer

20/74

6/15

27/131

53/220 (4.2)

Novak Djokovic 14/55 5/10 32/105 51/170 (3.3)
Rafael Nadal 17/53 0/8 33/112 50/174 (3.5)
Pete Sampras

14/52

5/11

11/83

30/146 (4.9)

Andre Agassi

8/61

1/13

17/90

26/164 (6.3)

Andy Murray

3/46

1/8

14/96

18/150 (8.3)

Boris Becker*

2/26

2/6

5/51

9/83 (9.2)

Thomas Muster

1/29

0/4

8/53

9/86 (9.6)

Gustavo Kuerten

3/33

1/3

5/67

9/103 (11.4)

Jim Courier

4/38

0/4

5/71

9/113 (12.6)

Stefan Edberg**

3/28

0/4

1/24

4/56 (14)

Marcelo Rios

0/26

0/1

5/56

5/83 (16.6)

Michael Chang

1/50

0/6

7/86

8/142 (17.

Marat Safin

2/41

0/3

5/87

7/131 (18.7)

Andy Roddick

1/46

0/6

5/75

6/127 (21.2)

* Becker's four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg's three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.

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