Rafael Nadal capped of a remarkable return, from a seven-month injury lay-off, to win the US Open against world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1 in Monday's final at Flushing Meadows. It marks the Majorcan's latest title in an ever growing list of tournament wins since his come back from a debilitating knee problem.
The match was observed by a star-studded audience at the Arthur Ashe Court, including the former James Bond, Sean Connery - who has been an omnipresent figure throughout the championships - looking in an upbeat mood whilst sharing some words with Alec Baldwin. The real stars, though, were the two best tennis players in the world, going head-to-head in their second Grand Slam final against each other this year. And, at times, the audience were treated to a match that more than lived up to the occasion.
The peak of competitive sport was showcased in the second and third set, which were encapsulated for their quality by a mesmeric 54 shot rally. This wasn't a passive 54 shot rally either. This was an aggressive point played with hard hitting and superb retrieving from both men.
Watch the 54 shot rally below - it's a must if you haven't.
However, this was to be as good as it would get for Djokovic as Nadal fought back, after losing the second set, to secure his second US Open title and 13th Grand Slam in total. And this from a man who has suffered from a potentially career threatening knee injury, on a surface that does not help alleviate the stress that is placed on his knees, against the world number one who was playing on his favourite surface - it is simply remarkable.
This just helps illustrate what kind of person Rafael Nadal is and the mental toughness that he obtains. Along with the support of his family and coaching team, Nadal has been able to all but secure his return to world number one in the coming months (due to the points scoring system that determines player rankings). Even before the final, Djokovic had already admitted that Nadal was the best player in the world, and the Spaniard's 22-0 record on hard courts this year further supported that hypothesis.
It is hard to put into perspective what Nadal has achieved since his return to the Tour on 6 February against Argentina's Federico Delbonis. I can't even think of an example to liken his return to.It is, for all purposes, incredible and inspiring; showing how much drive and passion Nadal must have for tennis and his will to be the best in the world. This is not an easy feat and is made doubly hard in an individual sport that favours the physically superior and fit, and in an era of tennis that has some of the best to play the game battling it out every week.
Save for further injury, Nadal could even surpass Roger Federer in the list for most Grand Slam titles. Presently, Nadal is only four behind the Swiss maestro. On Federer's recent showings it seems that his powers seem to be on the wane and it is questionable whether he can put a run together to beat his younger rivals - like Nadal, Djokovic and Murray - day after day. Federer's recent experimentation, with trying out a different racquet that has a bigger frame, does not inspire the confidence that he can add to his Grand Slam tally, especially as all of his Grand Slam successes came with the same racquet. The fact that he is fiddling with his racquet could be indicative that Federer's time is up. Something that Nadal acknowledges will happen to him one day. He has said so much to Sky Sports, after defeating Djokovic, that he probably has a three year window where he will have opportunities to win the big prizes in tennis. His recent trials and tribulations have made him only too aware that sporting immortality doesn't last forever.
What is Nadal's next goal now that he has won the last Grand Slam of the year? Ending the year as world number one? Winning the Australian Open in January next year? Nope. When asked, he smiles and modestly responds "the Davis Cup tie." That pretty much sums up the man: taking on challenges one step at a time and with humility.
Vamos Rafa!
No comments:
Post a Comment