NEW YORK(SMI-WIRE,08.26-09.10.17)The USTA held its annual US Open player media availibility today, inviting credentialed US & International press members from broadcast and media outlets to participate in a press conference with World Ranked men's & women's tennis professional players that will compete in the 2017 US Open Tennis Championship starting on August 28, 2017 at Flushing Meadow Park Queens New York.Top ranked players from Karolina Pliskova (Czech, world ranked# 1 ), Rafael Nadal(Spaniard world ranked # 1),

Simona Halep (Romanian, world ranked #2), Roger Fereder (Swiss world ranked #3), Garbine Muguruza( Spaniard-Venezuelan world ranked #3 ), Angelique Kerber (German, world ranked #6 ),  Alexander Zverev (German, world ranked #6), Madison Keys (American, world ranked # 16), Andy Murray (British, world ranked # 2), and Caroline Wozniacki( Danish, world ranked #5 ), participated in the player media availibility with the press.

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Rafael Nadal is a Spanish professional tennis player, currently ranked world No.1 in men's singles. He is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player in history, and owing to his dominance and success on the surface, he has been called "The King of Clay". His evolution into an all-court threat has established him as one of the greatest players in tennis history.

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Nadal has won 15 Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles, an

all-time record of 30 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, tied with Novak Djokovic and an all-time record 18 ATP World Tour 500 tournaments, tied with Roger Federe. He was also a member of the winning Spain Davis Cup team in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2011. In 2010, he became the seventh male player in history and youngest of five in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam at age 24. He is the second male player, after Andre Agassi, to complete the singles Career Golden Slam. In 2011, Nadal was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the year. The left-hander is the sixth player in the Open Era to reach more than 100 finals on the ATP World Tour.

Starlight Media Illustrated attended the player-media availibility event at the US Open and this is what Rafael Nadal said during the Q & A from the press

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Q. What are your thoughts about being the No. 1 seed?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no, being No. 1 seed, yeah, is good to be No. 1 of the world again, of course. I think it's a good achievement after three years having some troubles. So just happy for that.

Yes, no, just excited to start the US Open. Doesn't matter if you are seeded 1 or seeded 20. No, for me always is special to play here in a tournament that I had success, a tournament that I enjoyed a lot of good matches, and a tournament that normally I have a great connection with the crowd

Q. The US Open experimented with a shot clock for serves and player coaching during the qualifiers. Do you have an opinion on either or both of those?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think in terms of coaching I think is normal. In terms of sports, if you have a coach in some ways is stupid to not use the coach in the most important moment. So I think is a good improvement.

About the clock on the court, well, I tell you one thing: Depends on what the fans want. You know, if the fans want short points and players playing without thinking, the matches, only going for the shots, maybe is good.

If you want to have matches like I played here with Novak, probably the three finals that I played here with Novak, probably that kind of match that the crowd is more involved because the points are so long, well, you cannot expect play 50 shots' rally and in 25 seconds be ready to play the next tennis point.

I think that's not possible for a great show. But if you don't want a great show, of course it's a great improvement

Q. How surprising is it to you that this year the Grand Slams have been all about either Roger and you and we're sitting at the 2017 US Open and Roger and yourself are considered the favorites? Does that surprise you at all?

RAFAEL NADAL: In January, yes. Now, a little bit less. In terms of favorites or not favorites always is the same. Always Grand Slam we start talking about favorites and all always the same. The player who plays better is the player who has better chances.

Yeah, of course, is something that probably you and we don't expect to have that much success, but here we are. And we worked well, we worked with passion, and we played well.

So let's see how we finish season.

Q. It's been a while since you first earned the No. 1 ranking many years ago. If it did, how different did it feel this time getting back to the top compared to the first?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the first for me was more important than this one, of course. Yeah, I care. I have been -- in 2008, for sure, was more important the ranking for me than today, because I believe -- well, I think I did a lot of great things, I was winning a lot of tournaments, I'm playing very solid, and I was not able to be in that position, so I think in some ways in that moment I deserved to be No. 1 at that point. It happened and it was great.

I enjoyed that, and then of course 2013, yeah, was very special after a lot of injuries and, yeah, was an amazing season. This year, let's see. For the moment I am very happy the way that I played during the whole season. I enjoyed almost every event that I played.

I'm here at the US Open, and doesn't matter if I No. 1 or not. Today, only thing that matters is try to work well and try to be ready for the first match and try to play a good US Open. That's my goal.