Nadal completes career Grand Slam
BY winning the U.S. Open for the first time and completing his collection of Grand Slam titles, Rafa Nadal solved one riddle and posed another.
| Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates with his trophy after his victory against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the U.S. Open in New York on Monday.SD-Agencies |
His 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic in Monday’s rain-interrupted final at Flushing Meadows ensured the Spaniard joined the pantheon of tennis greats and resolved beyond any reasonable doubt just who is the best player in the world today.
Nadal is adamant Roger Federer deserves the accolade because of his 16 Grand Slam titles but the jury is still out after the Spaniard conquered New York.
Nadal has nine Grand Slam titles and is five years younger than Federer. He has been racking them up at a faster rate than his Swiss rival and has mastered every surface. He is not walking the road to immortality so much as sprinting along it.
“For me, it’s a dream to have the career Grand Slam,” Nadal said. “It is an unbelievable feeling because I worked all my life in difficult moments to be here.”
With eight Grand Slams before the tournament began, the left-handed Nadal was already one of the game’s elite, but his win Monday elevated him to a whole new level.
He overcame the distraction of a two-hour relay delay and losing his first set of the tournament to defeat Djokovic after three hours and 43 minutes of unrelenting tension at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Source： Shenzhen Daily Editor： 洪志科