Don't know if Novak Djokovic wins more, I'd love to finish with 25 Slams: Rafael Nadal

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal is making the most of the ongoing suspension of the ATP tour.

While certain sectors have re-opened in Spain and other parts of the world, competitive tennis is still a few weeks away from resumption. As such, Nadal is limited to the training element of the sport - which leaves him with plenty of time to focus on other things.

That's a luxury rarely afforded to top players, and in a recent interview with BBC Sport’s Sue Barker, Rafael Nadal revealed what he's been doing in his downtime. The Spaniard spoke about his newfound interest in cooking and his love for seafood, and later also gave his thoughts on how motivated he is to add to his Slam tally.

Rafael Nadal talks cooking & 20th Grand Slam prospects with Sue Barker - BBC Sport - https://t.co/4WwLE8ndW5

— Nadal News (@nadalnews) July 8, 2020

Susan ‘Sue’ Barker OBE is herself a former Grand Slam champion, having won the French Open title back in 1976. She first asked Rafael Nadal what he's been cooking lately, as the Spaniard has posted a few videos of him spending time in the kitchen during the lockdown.

"Well everybody did different things during lockdown," Nadal said. "I tried to cook more than before. Of course I make mistakes but somewhere I start to cook different things. In such moments it is important to have some fun too.”

Barker then asked Rafael Nadal if he had a favorite dish which he cooked for his wife, to which the Spaniard responded:

“Well I love seafood, so if I have to say something, the broth, seafood broth with rice.”

Estoy desbordado con el trabajo en casa ... 😩 Más fácil sería estar en el torneo de Monte Carlo (que tocaba esta semana) entrenando 3 horas de tenis 🎾 😂😂😂 Pero por ahora es lo que toca y con buena cara! 😀Después pongo una foto del resultado... ¡¡Y lo dicho, a animarse !! pic.twitter.com/mj7xBD70TZ

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 13, 2020

Much like with his tennis, Nadal likes to keep it simple in the kitchen. On the court the southpaw relies on perfect execution of the basics to produce spectacular results, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if his culinary experiments bear similar fruit.

Over-ambition can be negative, says Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one Slam away from equaling Roger Federer's tally

In the last segment of the interview, Barker asked Rafael Nadal the all-important question concerning his Slam tally. The Mallorcan is a solitary title away from Roger Federer’s record of 20, and is a big favorite to at least equal the mark this year.

Barker asked Nadal if winning a 20th Grand Slam served as a motivation, or if it was just another number. The Spaniard was his usual humble self in his response:

“I say thousands of times now, I do my way. I am super happy with how my career has evolved all these years. I can’t go crazy thinking about 20th or I don’t know if Novak is winning more. I just try to do my way.”

Rafael Nadal does seem content with his achievements so far, but it is interesting to note that he brought up Novak Djokovic in his reply. The Serb himself is just two Slam titles behind Nadal, at 17.

Rafael Nadal is just two Majors ahead of Novak Djokovic

“I just try to keep enjoying tennis," Nadal added. "Of course I will love to finish my career with 25 if possible! (laughs). But my feeling is it's important that over-ambition can be very negative. I just try to follow my route, my way. I hope to keep produce myself opportunities in the next couple of years.”

Rafael Nadal will have at least one opportunity to add to his tally this year, when he defends his title at Roland Garros in September. It is still unconfirmed if the Spaniard will make himself available to defend his title at the US Open in August.