"I say it 100 times, no? I didn't go to sleep thinking if I am No. 1 or No. 2" - When Rafael Nadal denied pressure of being the favorite at Miami Open

Rafael Nadal once denied the notion of feeling any additional pressure over being considered the favorite at the Sony Ericsson Open (now known as the Miami Open).

In 2009, Nadal entered the Masters 1000 event as the top seed, receiving a first-round bye. Roger Federer followed as the second seed, while Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were the third and fourth seeds, respectively.

Ahead of his campaign in Miami, Rafael Nadal was asked whether being widely regarded as the favorite for the title generated any additional pressure. However, the Spaniard dismissed any such concerns, saying that whether he was ranked World No. 1 or No. 2 made no difference to him.

"Different between 2 and 1? Completely the same for me. Yeah, no changes," he said in his pre-tournament press conference.

He further emphasized that his thoughts weren't consumed by the World No. 1 ranking. Instead, his focus was on making improvements to his game.

"For me the goal is the same: try to improve my tennis and try to continuing have the good results. In the end, is only one number. No. 1 and No. 2 is only one number of difference," he said.

"You know, I say it 100 times, no? I didn't go to sleep thinking if I am No. 1 or No. 2, and I didn't wake up thinking about if I am the No. 1 or No. 2. I think about I have to play well today or I have to practice well today. I have to improve. Yeah," he added.

Rafael Nadal lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) to Juan Martin del Potro. Andy Murray triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event, beating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5 in the final.

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Rafael Nadal has never won the Miami Open title

Nadal (left) and Djokovic

During his illustrious career, one trophy that has continued to elude Rafael Nadal is the Miami Open. He has made 13 appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 event, reaching the final five times.

The Spaniard contested his first final in 2005, where Roger Federer claimed a 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1 victory to win the Sunshine Double for the first time. Subsequently, Nikolay Davydenko triumphed over Nadal in the 2008 final, securing a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win.

The Spaniard made his third appearance in the Miami Open final in 2011, suffering a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) loss to Novak Djokovic. Djokovic also claimed a commanding 6-3, 6-3 win over his arch-rival in the 2014 final.

Federer emerged victorious against the Spaniard in the 2017 final, winning 6-3, 6-4 to record this third and final Sunshine Double.