Should Rafael Nadal win this year's US Open, he will not only claim a record 23rd Grand Slam singles title but also return to number one in the rankings.
Nadal is currently the world number three behind Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, but would leapfrog them both if he emerges victorious at Flushing Meadows for the fifth time in his career.
In the process, Nadal could become the oldest year-end world number one at the age of 36 if he is able to hold onto that spot for the remainder of the season. And that would see the Spaniard break a record currently held by rival Novak Djokovic, who was the year-end world number one last year at the age of 34.
Nadal did have a chance to return to the top of the rankings at the Cincinnatti Open, his first event since pulling out of Wimbledon with an abdominal tear. However, he crashed out in the first round after losing 7-6(9) 4-6 6-3 to Borna Coric in his comeback match.
Speaking before that match, though, Nadal spoke up about how meaningful it would be to return to number one in the rankings. "It means a lot to me to have that opportunity," he said.
"Something that I didn't expect could happen again. I am going to put all my efforts into every single event I play.
"It is something that doesn't matter if I have the chance to be No. 1, but I am happy to be in this position and if it happens, I will be very happy.
"You need to know that when you come back after a while that things aren't going to be perfect. You can't expect to play at an amazing level from the beginning.
"Knowing that you [need to] be humble enough to fight with the tools that you have at the beginning to win the first match. Then when you win a match or two matches things change and you start to feel competitive again."
