The Phnom Penh Post

US Open champion Nadal hails ‘best season’ and ‘incredible era’

- Dave James

RAFAEL Nadal described the year 2017 as “one of the best of his career” on Sunday after winning a third US Open and 16th Grand Slam. World No1 Nadal defeated South Africa’s world No32 Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a brutally one-sided final during which he did not face a break point.

Nadal also claimed an unpreceden­ted 10th French Open in June after finishing runner-up to Roger Federer at the Australian Open.

“In terms of results, this has been one of the best seasons of my career, of course,” Nadal admitted of a year in which he won at least two Slams for the fourth time in his career.

Had he got the better of Gilles Muller at Wimbledon, where he lost the final set of his fourth-round clash 15-13, the year might have been even more memorable.

“I have been winning titles, playing three finals of Grand Slams, so that’s a lot. That’s so difficult. The other slam that I was not in the final, I lost the match 15-13 in the fifth to be in the quarterfin­als.

“So was ver y competitiv­e year for me. And on clay, I won a lmost ever y match. Of course is an emotiona l season because I have been through tough moments in terms of injuries.”

Nadal’s win on Sunday was the latest chapter in an epic story of domination by the sport’s superstars.

From Wimbledon in 2003, an incredible 53 of 58 Slams have now been claimed by just five men – Federer (19), Nadal (16), Novak Djokovic (12) and Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka with three apiece.

Only Andy Roddick, Gaston Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic have broken the spell.

“We are in an era that is not nice to say, because I’m part of it, but we are in an era that some players make incredible things in this sport,” Nadal said.

“It’s difficult to win a lot of titles. We should be very happy. Probably even Roger and me and Novak, much more than we ever dreamed.”

Fed’s mark no big deal

To hammer home their enduring appeal and dominance, Federer and Nadal shared the four Slams in 2017 – Federer winning the Australian Open before capturing a record eighth Wimbledon.

Despite his success, catching the 19 majors of Federer is not particular­ly high on Nadal’s list of priorities.

“I really never thought much about that. I just do my way; he does his way. Let’s see when we finish,” he said. “I have 16. So three is big difference. I really don’t think much about these kind of things.

“Well done for Roger that he is having an amazing season too – and well done for me because I’m hav- ing a great season too. Tennis is not all about the Grand Slams, so there are tournament­s to come and I’m excited about this last part of the season.”

It’s all a far cry from the end of last year when Nadal was ranked at nine in the world and Federer was 16.

It was also a 2016 season that saw the injury-hobbled Nadal lose in the first round at the Australian Open, withdraw after two rounds of the French with a wrist problem, skip Wimbledon and exit the US Open in the last 16.

However, in 2017, Federer and Nadal have won five titles apiece and yesterday they were back at No1 and No2 in the world for the first time since 2011.

“I was surprised in January. Now I am not that much surprised,” Nadal said. “There are things that probably Roger and me share – that is passion for what we are doing, passion for tennis, passion for the competitio­n and the spirit of improvemen­t all the time.”

Meanwhile, Martina Hingis captured her 25th career Grand Slam crown on Sunday as she partnered Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan to win the US Open women’s doubles title.

The Swiss star, who turns 37 later this month, won her 13th Grand Slam women’s doubles title as she and Chan beat Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2.

In Grand Slam events, Hingis also has won five singles titles and seven mixed doubles crowns, the most recent of those coming on Saturday alongside Britain’s Jamie Murray on the New York hardcourts.

 ?? AFP ?? Rafael Nadal poses with the trophy after beating Kevin Anderson in the 2017 US Open men’s singles final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sunday.
AFP Rafael Nadal poses with the trophy after beating Kevin Anderson in the 2017 US Open men’s singles final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sunday.

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