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In the weeks following her victory, Nadal announced he would be taking three weeks off after his US Open final, and that she would be his No.1-ranked player. At the time, she had been ranked No.1 since the start of the season, a feat which she accomplished only by beating Serena in the French Open final.
“I have a lot of respect and love for her,” Nadal said. “That’s my dream and I’m happy about it. She’s my idol, I want to play against her and to beat her, and beat her, to be honest.”
The Spaniard has been taking the opportunity to be with her daughter and her sister, who were born during his time away from tennis. “My time is very, very important for me,” she said. “The most important thing is my family and my daughter. I always will play with my soul for her.”
Nadal’s absence for the rest of the season means the world No 1 can only hope that she will continue to be the best player in the world.