Rafa eyes encore at Flushing Meadows
New York, Aug. 25: World number one Rafael Nadal is feeling rested and ready as he looks to defend his US Open title.
The Spaniard has put together back- to- back major crowns only at the French Open — where he has won 11 of his 17 Grand Slam titles.
A year ago at Flushing Meadows, he mowed down a men’s field that was missing five of the top- ranked 11 men, with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka among the injured absentees.
His brutally one- sided victory over South
African Kevin Anderson in his third Grand Slam final of the year gave him a second major of 2017 — after two years in which he failed to reach a Slam final.
“Last year has been a very special year after a couple of years,” Nadal said on Friday.
This year the men’s field features a full complement of the world’s top- ranked players and seven former US Open champions, but Nadal believes he’s had an ideal build up, starting with a hardcourt Masters title in Toronto.
“That’s important for the feelings, for the confidence,” Nadal said. “That gave me a chance to rest the week after in Cincinnati.”
After scooping his 80th career title — and his 33rd Masters 1000 — the 32- year- old pulled out of Cincinnati to focus on his US Open prep.
“I was resting from competing, not resting from working,” said Nadal, adding that as the tournament draws closer the signs are all encouraging.