Rafael Nadal completes career Grand Slam at US Open
Rafael Nadal has completed his career Grand Slam, defeating Novak Djkokovic in the US Open final to achieve the milestone.
The world No. 1, playing in the final at Flushing Meadows for the first time, won the decider 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to claim the ninth Grand Slam title of his career and become just the seventh man in history to win a career Grand Slam.
Indeed, with his US Open victory the 24-year-old Nadal has become just the fourth player, and the youngest, in the Open era to complete a Career Grand Slam, with Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer the other three players to win all four majors since the Open era commenced in 1968.
"It's a dream, [to] have the career Grand Slam, but this is more dream [to] have the US Open," Nadal said. "I worked a lot all my life, in all difficult moments to be here, but I never imagined [I'd] have the four Grand Slams."
“I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment, so I am very, very happy for that, for sure.”
Nadal entered the decider having not dropped a set all tournament and Djokovic arrived there after a tough five-set victory over five-time US Open champion Federer as he played the spoiler to a much anticipated Federer-Nadal final in Flushing Meadows.
And while Djokovic may have for the second time in his career been bested in the US Open final (Federer defeated the Serb to claim the crown in 2007), the third seed brought his A-game to yesterday’s rain-delayed match.
Heading into the final, Nadal’s serve had been broken just twice for the tournament but Djokovic managed to convert three of his four break point chances, including both of those he created in the second set, as he levelled the match at one set apiece.
The Spaniard, however, remained unbreakable in the final two sets of the three hour and 43 minute match and in the end it was he who etched his name in the US Open history books as the 2010 champion.
“He [Nadal] has the capabilities already now to become the best player ever,” Djokovic told reporters after the match. “I think he's playing the best tennis that I ever seen him play on hard courts. He has improved his serve drastically. The speed, the accuracy, and of course his baseline is as good as ever. So he's a very complete player.”
“I was playing really well for most of the match, but then there were some moments in, let's say, third and fourth set where I dropped my focus a little bit. You know, I dropped my level of game and just a little bit on service games. You know, it went for me. He took it away, and he never gave me a chance to go back.”
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