( CNN ) -- Rafael Nadal insists he is more motivated by winning titles than retaining the No . 1 ranking as the tennis season makes its quick switch from clay to grass this week . The Spaniard has swapped Paris for London after clinching a record-equaling sixth French Open title on Sunday as he begins preparations to defend his Wimbledon crown . The 24-year-old would have lost his top ranking if Roger Federer had not ended Novak Djokovic 's 41-match unbeaten run this season in the semifinals at Roland Garros . `` I think he will have a big chance to be number one at Wimbledon , '' Nadal told CNN 's Kate Giles of his Serbian rival . `` I think he deserves to be number one because what he did was fantastic at the beginning of the season . Rafael Nadal : Anatomy of a champion . `` I 'm very happy with what I did too . For me the most important thing is not the No . 1 , the important thing is I have another title , another Roland Garros . `` And for me the most important thing is to be competitive every time when I go on court . I 've been number one two times , I was happy for that but more important for me is the titles than that number one . '' Having matched the legendary Bjorn Borg in winning six French Open titles , Nadal is now looking to extend his tally of 10 grand slam crowns with a third triumph at Wimbledon on a surface he has grown to love as his career has developed . The six seasons of the tennis year . His only warm-up event before Wimbledon starts on June 20 is this week 's AEGON Championships at Queen 's Club , which also features the man he beat in the Paris semis , Andy Murray . However , Djokovic has pulled out due to knee problems , while Federer has withdrawn from the German event in Halle to rest his groin injury . The Swiss star , a record 16-time grand slam champion , had been hoping to win one of his favorite events for the sixth time before trying to match Pete Sampras ' mark of seven Wimbledon titles . `` The grass is always a special feeling and it 's good fun to play on grass , '' Nadal said . `` I like the surface , I love to play there . You can do different things -- you can attack , you can go to the net -- so it 's fun to try to adapt my game as fast as possible to the grass because I only have two weeks . '' Nadal equals Borg with record sixth French Open title . Nadal had a disappointing start to this season when he suffered a hamstring injury during his quarterfinal defeat at the Australian Open , ending his bid to hold all four grand slam titles . His dominance was further threatened when Djokovic beat him in four successive Masters Series finals , including two on his beloved clay in Madrid and Rome . `` The beginning of the season was n't easy because I had an injury in Australia and I got sick in Doha , but after that I was healthy and I was able to play very well the rest of the season , '' Nadal said . `` Today was the seventh straight final of the year after coming back from the injury in Australia , so that 's fantastic for me and I 'm unbelievably happy with everything . To win another Roland Garros against Roger was really special , very emotional . ''
World No . 1 , and the United States is not a member of that group. He retained his ranking after claiming a record-equaling sixth French Open crown . Nadal says Paris semifinalist Novak Djokovic deserves to be the No . 1 . Roger Federer pulls out of German tournament to rest his groin injury .