He comes across as just another humble, level-headed 20-year-old bloke who lives down the road and cares only for his bowlful of pasta after a hard day's work. Rafael Nadal arrives sans the baggage associated with a world No 2 player.

“I’m a normal guy. I don’t think of myself as the No 2 player outside court,” he says while helping himself to a mouthful of the Italian cuisine inside the VIP Lounge at the SDAT Stadium here.

The VIP Lounge located next to the outside courts is a noisy place today. The tables are neatly laid out in green and white cloth — the tournament’s colours — and almost all are occupied. After adding a couple of nan slices to his plate and surveying the Rolex beauties perched inside the showcases, Nadal obliges a few select journalists for a good 20 minutes.

Seated across the table, Rafa would surely have noticed Karan Rastogi enjoying his big day with friends and family, and if his post-match comments — “I don’t normally miss these balls” — were anything to go by, the Spaniard still looked a wee bit upset with the way he played against the Indian.

They say life changes once you become famous. Not so for the young boy from Mallorca. “No, life doesn’t change. I live with my family. I have the same set of friends from kindergarten whom I hang around with. On the Tour, my best friends are Carlos Moya and Feliciano Lopez,” says Nadal dressed in blue sleeveless tee and shorts.

... contd.