Roger Federer at the US Open

New York: It was a remark that one would have had to wait until hell froze over to hear John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors utter about the other, and then it would only be with a gun pointed at their head: “I’m going to make it as hard as possible for somebody to pass me, but I would at least wish if I wasn’t No. 1 Nadal would be.”

For those who believe that the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is just too cosy, this admission from the world's No 1 to The Sunday Telegraph will provide ample confirmation.

But this is to misunderstand the peerless one, just as it is a mistake to misinterpret his honesty for arrogance when he unintentionally talks disparagingly about lesser mortals than himself. It took McEnroe until well after his playing days had ended to talk generously of Connors, but Federer is prepared to accept the worthiness of Nadal as a rival right now.

The only hint of bitterness between the pair has been Federer’s occasional whinge about the off-court coaching of Nadal’s uncle, Toni, and yet no one who witnessed this year’s Wimbledon final between the two would ever doubt the intensity and quality of their rivalry, which brought new-found respect from Federer for the Majorcan, albeit in his hour of victory. McEnroe and Connors would shudder at the thought, but they would probably be cosier still if they spoke the same language.

In fact, it may come as a surprise to some to hear that Federer does not consider himself a born champion like his friend Tiger Woods or his role model fellow Swiss Martina Hingis. “They were born to become heroes because they were always pushed,” he said. “Early on their parents had a dream. They wanted them to become the best and they achieved it, which for me is mind-boggling. My father never believed I could become No. 1. I’ve just done the best I can — like Tim Henman.”

It’s worth mentioning, though, that his statement about wishing that Nadal be the one to dethrone him, if indeed he is to be, came with an appendage, which was: “That’s the standard.”

In other words, after 162 weeks as No. 1 he doesn’t want just anyone to overtake him, he wants only the best to do so. He knows Nadal has proved with his second successive appearance in a Wimbledon final he is no longer the ‘one-dimensional’ clay-courter Federer, a little unkindly, once described him as. Besides, his nemesis leads him 8-5 in head-to-heads.

As for Novak Djokovic, Federer felt the Serb, who beat him for the first time in the final of the Montreal Masters last month, first had to serve his Grand Slam apprenticeship before being considered a possible heir. Federer even put Andy Roddick ahead of the world No. 3 in his personal pecking order, although admitted that this US Open was ‘make or break time’ for the one-Slam American wonder.

There had been rumours that the garrulous Djokovic had got under Federer’s skin a little after announcing in classic Cassius Clay-speak before their fourth-round meeting in the Australian Open that the champion was ‘going down’. To be fair to Djokovic it was with tongue firmly in cheek. When Federer duly put him in his place, some said, it was by way of admonishment, but Federer denied there was any ill feeling between the two.

“We had one little issue where I thought he was faking injury in a Davis Cup tie against us,” said the Swiss. “His father got very vocal, but later, in Madrid, Novak came and excused himself for what happened so since then everything is ok. ”

No one could be more respectful of the game’s greats, particularly former ones, than Federer. He needs three more Grand Slam wins to pull level with Pete Sampras in the all-time Slam winners’ list, which he may very well do, appropriately, at Wimbledon next year. But for him that doesn’t necessarily follow that he’s a better player

“Sampras didn’t focus on beating somebody else’s record, it just happened. And the same for me, it will just happen,” he said. “If I don’t beat Sampras’s record, people may almost consider me a failure… I’m not worried — I’m having the time of my life.”