Rafael Nadal came out victorious after an exhausting fight against Daniil Medvedev and won the US Open title. The Spaniard won after five sets and four hours and 50 minutes of play. The result was 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.
Tennis fans had a chance to see a fantastic fight, one of the best in this year, in which both players deserved to win. Eventually, Nadal’s mental power carried him towards another Grand Slam title, his 19th, and 4th here at Flushing Meadows.
“In some way that’s good [to] see all the things I went through. Being able to still be here is so special for me,” Nadal said. “I went through some tough moments, physically, especially. When you have physical issues, then mentally, things became much more difficult.”
Nadal opened the match better, and he won the opening two sets. In the third one, he was cruising towards another easy win over Medvedev, whom he smashed in the finals of the Rogers Cup recently.
But the Russian suddenly came back. While losing 3-2 in the third with a break already given to Rafa, the 23-year old became more aggressive. The results were almost immediate. He quickly started to take the momentum, leaving Nadal in the dust. The Spanish player tried to interrupt Medvedev with constant changes of the rhythm, but it was in fact, he who was the victim of the same tactic applied by his rival.
After a tough battle, the Russian leveled the score, and the fans were bound to see the fifth set. Whether was that inexperience or just fatigue, Medvedev’s pressure eased up a little bit, which was all that Nadal needed.
The Bull from Manacor seized his chance and didn’t allow for it to pass despite having some troubles while using it. Medvedev fought bravely and was on the brink of coming back after losing two breakpoints. However, as we said, Nadal’s fantastic mental state was the decisive factor in this clash.
The No.5 in the world who was excellent throughout the whole US Open Tour explained following the match that the crowd inspired him to come back into the contest.
“Because of the crowd, I was fighting like hell,” said Medvedev. “In the third set, in my mind, I was already thinking what to say in the speech. I was fighting, and I didn’t give up, but unfortunately, it didn’t go my way.”
He currently has the most wins this season of all the ATP players, 50. Medvedev also won his first big title, at Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. During the American tour, he also reached the finals in Washington, Rogers Cup, and Flushing Meadows, establishing himself as one of the leaders of the younger generation of players.
Still, the old school runs the show in the world of tennis, with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Nadal dominating the courts all over the world. This season, Novak and Rafa won two Grand Slams each, indicating that the young challengers are not mature yet to endanger them. The next major tournament is in October – Rolex Masters in Shanghai.
