Federer figures his record will be surpassed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates－Roger Federer, for one, figures questions about whether Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic－or both?－will surpass his men's record for most Grand Slam singles titles are moot.

That's because he's sure it's going to happen. And he's OK with that. Ending up in third place, Federer insists, would be just fine.

"I think the way it's going, obviously, Rafa and Novak will win more, because they're that good," Federer said matter-of-factly during a recent interview with Associated Press in Dubai, which he uses as a preseason training base. "And the season they had (in 2019), again, shows that there is more to come for them."

He didn't say this with a wistful sigh or a disappointed glance at the floor or a trace of regret. That's just the way he sees things at the moment. Entering the Australian Open, scheduled to begin today in Melbourne, Federer leads the list with 20 majors, followed by Nadal with 19, then Djokovic with 16.

So by the end of the Aussie Open, Nadal could pull even with Federer for the first time.

Whether or not it truly matters who comes out on top when all is said and done, everyone is going to be paying attention to how it shakes out. Including Federer, who surpassed Pete Sampras' old standard of 14 a decade ago.

Don't mistake an honest outlook for disinterest.

"I guess you do care, to some extent, just because it's normal," Federer said, then mentioned how much it meant to him that Sampras was sitting in the Centre Court stands at Wimbledon for No 15.

"I looked up to him so much that I felt, also, uncomfortable maybe, sometimes, breaking his records. It's not something I ever wanted to do. It just happened to be like this. But of course I knew it was a big, big-time moment in our sport. And I think those are the moments you will remember," Federer said.

"Now, at the end, if somebody else would pass you, I mean, I guess it's OK, because that's what sports is all about. It's a lot about numbers. It's a lot about records. But I had my moment and I always said everything that comes after 15 was, anyway, a bonus. And especially after the knee injury (in 2016), everything that came after that was a bonus. I would have taken one more Slam, and I was able to get three more－and three amazing ones."