Nadal was so dominant that he just lost one set (against Marin Cilic) en route to his final at the 2019 US Open

Rafael Nadal became the second-highest Grand Slam winner in men’s tennis history when he won the 2019 US Open.

With this win, Nadal celebrated 19 Grand Slams – just one short of Roger Federer’s record 20. It was also his fourth singles crown at the US Open, having won at Flushing Meadows in 2010, 2013, and 2017 respectively.

In one of the most gruelling US Open finals in recent years, Nadal overcame young Russian star Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to walk away with the honours.

Nadal, who has seen many ups and downs in his career, once again gave a clear picture of his well-known fighting spirit by defeating Medvedev in a US Open final that lasted four hours and 50 minutes.

Last Slam for Nadal

Nadal’s last Slam victory was also the 2019 US Open. The Spaniard was knocked out of the 2020 Australian Open quarterfinals by eventual runner-up Dominic Thiem.

With the ATP suspending all games at least until July, only the future knows what’s in store for the 33-year-old. In the meantime, let’s revisit Nadal’s journey at the 2019 US Open Grand Slam.

Seeded second, Nadal began his 2019 US Open campaign with a straight-set victory over Australian John Millman. He ousted the Australian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to set up a clash with Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round.

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However, Kokkinakis retired before the start of the match owing to injury, making life easier for the Spaniard.

Nadal next faced South Korean Chung Hyeon in the third round. It turned out to be an easy outing for the experienced Nadal as he once again recorded an easy 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 straight-set victory over his younger counterpart.

Dominating display by Nadal at 2019 US Open

The Spaniard’s next challenger was an old foe – former World No.3 and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, who was seeded 22.

Unlike Nadal’s previous encounters in the tournament, the match against Cilic did not turn out to be that easy. The experienced Croatian put up a good fight before losing to 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 2-6 to Nadal.

Having progressed to the quarterfinals, Nadal’s next opponent was Argentine Diego Schwartzman. Nadal was barely tested as he registered his third straight-set win in the 2019 US Open.

Nadal sailed past Schwartzman with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 win to set up a semi-final clash against first-time major semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini. However, the Spaniard ended Berrettini’s hopes of a maiden Grand Slam appearance by thrashing him 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 to reach his fifth US Open final.

Nadal finally met his worth in the form of ‘Next Gen’ star Medvedev, who made the Spaniard toil hard before claiming his fourth US Open title. Nadal was so dominant that he just lost one set (against Marin Cilic) en route to his final at the 2019 US Open.

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