• French Open

Nadal not distracted by Djokovic threat

Rafael Nadal was downed by Novak Djokovic in Rome and Madrid © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Hewitt pulls out of French Open at 11th hour
  
• News: Murray handed qualifier in French Open first round
  
• Profile: Rafael Nadal

For live updates from every day of the French Open, don't miss our dedicated service, starting Sunday

Betting: Nadal still the man to beat

Rafael Nadal has insisted he is not dwelling on recent defeats to Novak Djokovic.

Nadal will defend his French Open title at Roland Garros, starting on Sunday, and the world No. 1 is under threat from Djokovic following the Serb's unbeaten run in 2011.

Djokovic beat Nadal in Madrid and Rome, the Spaniard's first defeats on clay since 2009, and the Serb appears to have found a way to trouble the world No. 1 on his favoured surface.

The two are slated to meet in the final of the French Open but Nadal is focusing on his first-round opponent John Isner rather than Djokovic.

"I can only play against him in the final so, for me, if I am in the final, it will be a fantastic result," Nadal said at the draw for the first round of the French Open.

"I will have a very difficult first round against Isner so I am focused on that. I always practise the same way, to be aggressive, to try to play my best tennis, and, if I can do that, hopefully I will have a chance to be in the final rounds."

Nadal is taking the positives from his recent defeat to Djokovic, as he said: "In Madrid I didn't play well. Even if the score was closer, in my opinion, the level wasn't the same. In Rome, my opinion was different. The level was closer. The score was 6-4 6-4 but in the second set I felt I had big chances to win it.

"He's playing with extreme confidence all the time so what he did is really difficult to repeat another time. I just congratulate him for everything.

"Technically I don't think he's changed a lot of things. Probably right now he's defending better. But when you have this confidence it seems like you have improved everything a lot.

"Everybody knows how good Novak is and how good he can be, but it was the same a few years ago. Right now he's winning and, with the victories, your confidence is higher and higher every time."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.