Rafael Nadal dearly wants to win the US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, but the Spanish world number one is not obsessed about the only major trophy missing from his mantle.

Two days before Monday's start of the year's final Grand Slam tournament, the 24-year-old southpaw reflected upon the idea that Wimbledon or Australian Open titles might have been considered beyond his reach not so very long ago.

Two days before Monday's start of the year's final Grand Slam tournament, the 24-year-old southpaw reflected upon the idea that Wimbledon or Australian Open titles might have been considered beyond his reach not so very long ago.

"I'm more than happy with what I have at home, all the tournaments that I won. It's more than I dreamed five or six years ago so I'm happy for that. Now I have the idea to improve my tennis and play well here."

Nadal comes off titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, giving him a career eight Grand Slam crowns, and has put himself in position to capture the US Open the past two years, reaching the semi-finals each time.

This year, the Spaniard says, he arrives at Flushing Meadows even more prepared to perform his best when it matters most.

"The most important thing is how I'm playing. That really says if I'm ready to have any chance to play the tournament or not," Nadal said.

"If we're talking in general, I probably arrived a little bit better than other years. But I did two semi-finals last two years, so it wasn't a bad result. I was there."

So what extra will it take for Nadal to overcome the final hurdles and claim the hardcourt crown?

"I have to improve everything," he said. "It's always the same answer. The thing is to play your best tennis in the right moments. When you need to play your best, play your best. That's the only way to have any chance to win here."

Nadal took three weeks off after Wimbledon and raised his game at tuneup events for the US Open, where he will make no alterations to his training regimen.

"Nothing changes for me if I'm playing a Grand Slam or I'm playing in Bangkok," Nadal said. "My schedule is always the same."

Nadal, who opens against Russia's 98th-ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili, does not see his career being diminished if he never wins a US Open title given the success that has already come.

"From my experience, it doesn't make any difference," he said. "For sure, personal satisfaction is going to be high any day I have a chance to win here."

But Nadal knows he can soar the glory at Wimbledon and the French Open and have his headaches the next time he steps on the court.

"That's the sport. You win. You lose. The moment is something important," Nadal said. "When you finish your career, it's going to be something important. But at this moment, when you're playing, you don't think about that.

"If I win this year here, I'm going to be playing in Shanghai in a few months and I'm going to be worried for the first round. That's tennis."

Swiss second seed Roger Federer has a record 16 Slam crowns and has played Nadal in every Slam final except the US Open.

"I would like to play against him this year because I can only play against him in the final," Nadal said. "For me, playing against Roger or not doesn't matter. The important thing is to play well and try to be in the last rounds.

"If I'm in the last rounds, I'm going to have a big chance to play against him because he's always here... He is playing well again. He played the final in Toronto and won Cincinnati so he's ready to win here another time."

Nadal noted that the two are friendly rivals off the court, but that would not keep him from finishing off Federer if that's what it takes for a title.

"I don't have this problem," Nadal said.