Novak Djokovic outlasted Rafael Nadal in a herculean battle for the US Open men’s singles title on Monday night, 6–2, 6–4, 6–7, 6–1 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, claiming his first US Open title.
The match lived up to the billing and was a four hour, 10 minute marathon; giving each fan in attendance more than their money’s worth.
“I stepped on the court believing I can win,” Djokovic said after the game.
Nadal started the match strong, taking his first service game and then breaking Djokovic. The Serbian dug in, however, taking the next six games and the set 6–2.
The second set was deja vu of the first, with Nadal taking the first two games fairly easily, and a 2–0 lead in the set. The third game was a reminder why these two warriors were in the finals and set the tone for the remainder of the match.
Nadal was on serve, but Djokovic brought him to break point. They extended the game to eight deuces, trading between advantage and deuce with the crowd roaring in between. After almost 20 minutes of incredible net play and long rallies, the battle finally ended, with Djokovic claiming the crucial game.
After the match, Nadal said, “It was a tough match. Physical, mental, everything. I think it was a quality match.”
Nadal brought life back to the crowd by taking another extended seventh and eighth game, but Djokovic closed out the set without much fight from the Spaniard 6–4.
It looked as though it would be a straight-set Grand Slam victory for Djokovic, but Nadal had other plans. The two duked it out for a tremendous third set, with each player breaking the other with regularity. They traded long rallies, with Djkovic placing drop shots at just the right time. The set went to a tie break, with Nadal dominating, 7–3.
At the beginning of the fourth set, Djokovic hurt a muscle in his back and had to take a medical time out. He struggled to serve, often serving at only 90MPH, instead of the 115–120 he had been all match. He winced in pain, but refused to give up. Djokovic played with the heart of a champion and only gave up the fourth game to Nadal, taking the set 6–1, adding U.S. Open Champion to his resumé.
At the end of the match, the exhausted Djokovic laid out on the court, soaking in the cheers of the crowd. “This is really incredible!” he said as he received his trophy.
Gordon Smith, executive director of the USTA said during the Djokovic press conference, “To one of the greatest performances in grand slam history. A toast!”
Djokovic lost only two matches the entire season and has now claimed an Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open title.
“If I make half as much as I did this year, next year, I will be happy,” Djokovic said.
