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Nadal is 'far away' from matching Federer, says mentor

Rafael Nadal won the US Open final in four sets © Getty Images

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Rafael Nadal's mentor and coach, uncle Toni, has instantly made sure his nephew's feet remain on the ground following his US Open triumph, insisting the world No. 1 is 'far away' from being in the same class as Roger Federer.

Nadal's victory over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows completed a career Grand Slam of major titles, raising inevitable questions over whether the Spaniard has become the sport's greatest ever player.

With nine Grand Slam titles to his name, Nadal is still seven behind Federer, and the player admits it would be 'stupid' to put him on a par with the Swiss. Uncle Toni agrees, insisting his nephew needs to continue to dominate the game for another five years.

"The best players were Federer, [Rod] Laver, [Bjorn] Borg - Rafael is far away from them, although he is a very good player," Toni was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail. "Is Rafael the greatest? Come and ask me in five or six years' time and I will tell you.

"Agassi won all four titles and [Ivan] Lendl did not but who is the better player? Lendl, I think. To win all four is important but the most important thing is that he (Nadal) has won nine Grand Slams."

Nadal's achievement in recording three consecutive Grand Slam victories, just ten months after a poor performance at the ATP Tour World Finals, reminds Toni Nadal of the fragile nature of the Majorcan's career. Nadal's knees remain a long-term concern, and it is longevity that he needs if he is to usurp Federer's status in the game.

"There were eight players (at the World Finals) and seven of them were better than Rafael, so it's unbelievable where we are now. Tennis is relentless, you never know after one month or 15 days if you might have problems. Winning three Grand Slams in succession is a dream, no? I wouldn't have believed it in February."

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