Rafael Nadal chasing down Roger Federer's record after US Open win
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Nadal is closing in on Federer's grand slam haul of 17 but the US Open runner-up, Novak Djokovic, says he will return stronger
While Rafael Nadal,
right, could one day be regarded as the best of all time, Novak Djokovic
says 'the best time for my career is about to come'. Photograph:
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
"Thirteen is an amazing number," Rafael Nadal
said, his eternally boyish head bobbing from side to side, those thick,
dark eyebrows arched in what seems like a permanent message of
wonderment at the things he does with a tennis racket.
The Spaniard is in no danger of losing his innocence as he closes to within four of another number, the record 17 grand slam titles owned by Roger Federer. They are finally going down different roads after nearly a decade of rivalry and, while the 32-year-old Swiss struggles with the wretched prospect of gradual decline, Nadal, five years younger, roars back from the dead.
If he keeps winning majors – the French is almost his personal property, Wimbledon lately a mystery to him and the hardcourts of Melbourne and New York now back within his ambition – he has time to overhaul Federer, passing Pete Sampras along the way, and leaving his contemporaries in his dust.
It is a target that looked eminently achievable on a windy, wonder-filled night as he annexed another US Open title, thwarting the inspired challenge of the world No1, Novak Djokovic, here for the second time in three finals over the past four years. It was a win that inspired the old argument: can Nadal one day be regarded as the greatest of all time, ahead of the sainted Federer?
He has a winning record against every player in the top 30, including those close to him in talent and ambition: Federer, Djokovic and Andy Murray. The evidence is mounting.
Again he and the rubber-man Djokovic went four sets, this time the margin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in three hours and 21 minutes. Again they held the increasingly raucous, almost riotous crowd on a string. Nadal had no right being here, not by normal standards, having seriously contemplated retiring from tennis, even in the early stages of his comeback in February, as he eased back his fragile knees on to the forgiving clay of South America.
From the moment he stepped on to the court in faraway Viña del Mar in Chile until he rolled like a kid on the court of the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, tearful in victory, he has won 60 matches, lost three, won 10 titles, two of them slams, and remained unbeaten in 22 matches on the hard courts that so rack his knees with pain.
"Thirteen grand slams for a guy who is 27 years old is incredible," Djokovic said, stoic but shattered. "Whatever he achieved so far in his career is something that everybody should respect, no question about it. He's definitely one of the best tennis players ever to play the game."
The words "one of" stand out. The Serb is still very much in the picture and, for a set and a couple of games, he, too, played like a tennis God. Just as Federer had done in Cincinnati last month. The problem was that each time across the net was a player who not only could stand the heat but start his own fire. And each time, he found a way to win.
Smiling, Nadal would only say: "Let me enjoy today. For me, it is much more than what I ever thought. The only thing I can say is the same like I do every time. I gonna keep working hard. Then you never know when that start, when that finish. Because I won that much on clay seems like other things are less, but I was able to play five finals in Wimbledon, I was able to play three finals in the US Open. I was able to play two finals in the Australian Open to win.
"Win all four grand slams in one year? I think today it is impossible for anyone. We will see, but today the best players are there all the time, so to win a tournament like this you have to win against Roger, against David [Ferrer], against Andy, against Novak. Against Novak it is very difficult. If both of us are playing well, it's very difficult that somebody wins."
Strangling the language as he had Djokovic's resolve, the quiet man from Mallorca said, in effect, it is easier to beat Federer than Djokovic. "If somebody is playing very well, the chance against Federer to somebody win easier is higher than against Novak, because there is one clear way to win the points. Between Novak and me, every point is fighting, every point is long rally, every point is more strategy.
This is very tough."
Tough to do, tough to watch – especially from the other end. "It is true that I am playing a little bit more aggressive than before, more inside the court, closer to the baseline, going more for the points. But all this is possible because I am playing well and I am confident. A big change? I don't see it."
Djokovic observed: "It was disappointing that I dropped the third set, even though I felt like especially in the first four, five games I was the one who was dictating the play. But it's all my fault. I made some unforced errors in the crucial moments with forehands and dropped the serve twice when I should not have.
Next thing, all of a sudden it's two sets to one for him. Then he started playing much, much better and I could not recover. In the important moments he played better tennis and that's why he deserved to win. I didn't deserve to win."
As a match report, that's hard to beat. "It's what we do when we play against each other," Djokovic added, "always pushing each other to the limit. That's the beauty of our matches and our rivalry, I guess. Many times you fall as an athlete, and you have to learn the lesson and keep on going, keep on fighting, keep on improving.
"That's what we are here for. I'm still 26, and I believe the best time for my career is about to come. I feel that. I believe that. As long as I believe it, the fire of the love towards the game is inside of me. And as long as that's present, as long as I feel it, I'm going to play this sport with all my heart."
It was one of the best losing speeches anyone here could remember. Djokovic, however, will not want to make too many more of them, whatever his respect for the man destined to occasionally make life unbearably miserable for him.
The Spaniard is in no danger of losing his innocence as he closes to within four of another number, the record 17 grand slam titles owned by Roger Federer. They are finally going down different roads after nearly a decade of rivalry and, while the 32-year-old Swiss struggles with the wretched prospect of gradual decline, Nadal, five years younger, roars back from the dead.
If he keeps winning majors – the French is almost his personal property, Wimbledon lately a mystery to him and the hardcourts of Melbourne and New York now back within his ambition – he has time to overhaul Federer, passing Pete Sampras along the way, and leaving his contemporaries in his dust.
It is a target that looked eminently achievable on a windy, wonder-filled night as he annexed another US Open title, thwarting the inspired challenge of the world No1, Novak Djokovic, here for the second time in three finals over the past four years. It was a win that inspired the old argument: can Nadal one day be regarded as the greatest of all time, ahead of the sainted Federer?
He has a winning record against every player in the top 30, including those close to him in talent and ambition: Federer, Djokovic and Andy Murray. The evidence is mounting.
Again he and the rubber-man Djokovic went four sets, this time the margin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in three hours and 21 minutes. Again they held the increasingly raucous, almost riotous crowd on a string. Nadal had no right being here, not by normal standards, having seriously contemplated retiring from tennis, even in the early stages of his comeback in February, as he eased back his fragile knees on to the forgiving clay of South America.
From the moment he stepped on to the court in faraway Viña del Mar in Chile until he rolled like a kid on the court of the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, tearful in victory, he has won 60 matches, lost three, won 10 titles, two of them slams, and remained unbeaten in 22 matches on the hard courts that so rack his knees with pain.
"Thirteen grand slams for a guy who is 27 years old is incredible," Djokovic said, stoic but shattered. "Whatever he achieved so far in his career is something that everybody should respect, no question about it. He's definitely one of the best tennis players ever to play the game."
The words "one of" stand out. The Serb is still very much in the picture and, for a set and a couple of games, he, too, played like a tennis God. Just as Federer had done in Cincinnati last month. The problem was that each time across the net was a player who not only could stand the heat but start his own fire. And each time, he found a way to win.
Smiling, Nadal would only say: "Let me enjoy today. For me, it is much more than what I ever thought. The only thing I can say is the same like I do every time. I gonna keep working hard. Then you never know when that start, when that finish. Because I won that much on clay seems like other things are less, but I was able to play five finals in Wimbledon, I was able to play three finals in the US Open. I was able to play two finals in the Australian Open to win.
"Win all four grand slams in one year? I think today it is impossible for anyone. We will see, but today the best players are there all the time, so to win a tournament like this you have to win against Roger, against David [Ferrer], against Andy, against Novak. Against Novak it is very difficult. If both of us are playing well, it's very difficult that somebody wins."
Strangling the language as he had Djokovic's resolve, the quiet man from Mallorca said, in effect, it is easier to beat Federer than Djokovic. "If somebody is playing very well, the chance against Federer to somebody win easier is higher than against Novak, because there is one clear way to win the points. Between Novak and me, every point is fighting, every point is long rally, every point is more strategy.
This is very tough."
Tough to do, tough to watch – especially from the other end. "It is true that I am playing a little bit more aggressive than before, more inside the court, closer to the baseline, going more for the points. But all this is possible because I am playing well and I am confident. A big change? I don't see it."
Djokovic observed: "It was disappointing that I dropped the third set, even though I felt like especially in the first four, five games I was the one who was dictating the play. But it's all my fault. I made some unforced errors in the crucial moments with forehands and dropped the serve twice when I should not have.
Next thing, all of a sudden it's two sets to one for him. Then he started playing much, much better and I could not recover. In the important moments he played better tennis and that's why he deserved to win. I didn't deserve to win."
As a match report, that's hard to beat. "It's what we do when we play against each other," Djokovic added, "always pushing each other to the limit. That's the beauty of our matches and our rivalry, I guess. Many times you fall as an athlete, and you have to learn the lesson and keep on going, keep on fighting, keep on improving.
"That's what we are here for. I'm still 26, and I believe the best time for my career is about to come. I feel that. I believe that. As long as I believe it, the fire of the love towards the game is inside of me. And as long as that's present, as long as I feel it, I'm going to play this sport with all my heart."
It was one of the best losing speeches anyone here could remember. Djokovic, however, will not want to make too many more of them, whatever his respect for the man destined to occasionally make life unbearably miserable for him.
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