Nadal claims his fourth U.S. Open

The 19th Grand Slam title that seemed so inevitable for Rafael Nadal during the first two-plus sets of the U.S. Open final suddenly seemed in doubt as Daniil Medvedev forced it to a fifth.

What had all the makings of a crowning morphed into a real contest thanks to Medvedev, a man a decade younger and appearing in his first major final. Medvedev shifted styles, upped his level and received an unexpected boost from Arthur Ashe Stadium spectators.

Truly tested for the only time in the tournament, the No. 2-seeded Nadal managed to stop Medvedev’s surge and hold off his historic comeback bid, pulling out a 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory in 4 hours, 50 minutes of highlightworthy action and feature-film-worthy drama on Sept. 8, collecting his fourth championship at Flushing Meadows.

Nadal is now within one major trophy of Roger Federer’s record for Grand Slam titles won by a man. But this one did not come easily. Not at all.

Sure seemed it might, with Nadal ahead by two sets and a break in the third at 3-2. But the No. 5-seeded Medvedev, a 23-year-old from Russia, did not go gently into the night. He broke right back to 3-all, then again to claim that set and yet again to end the fourth.

Not since 1949 had a man won the U.S. Open final after trailing by two sets to one. Never before had Medvedev won a five-set match. Only once before had Nadal lost a Grand Slam match after taking the opening two sets.

And yet the drama here was real.

Even at the very end — or when everyone, save Medvedev, perhaps, figured it was the very end — Nadal had trouble closing things out. After breaking to lead 3-2 in the fifth, in a game Medvedev led 40-love, Nadal broke again and served for the championship at 5-2.

The way this backand-forth tale was spun, though, it probably was inevitable that Medvedev would break there. And so he did, because Nadal double-faulted on break point after he was docked a serve for his third time violation of the evening.

NFL

JAGS’ FOLES, CHIEFS’ HILL INJURED >> The Jacksonville Jaguars’ hopes for stability at quarterback didn’t even last one quarter.

Nick Foles broke his left collarbone when Chris Jones hit him hard and landed on top of him as Foles threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark in the Jaguars’ 40-26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Foles will have surgery Monday. He is expected to be put on injured reserve, which would make him ineligible to play again until Week 11 at the earliest.

It was one of two significant shoulder injuries in Jacksonville. The Chiefs lost star receiver Tyreek Hill after he landed on his shoulder in the first half, and Hill was taken to a hospital after the game for treatment.

Foles’ injury leaves rookie Gardner Minshew in line to start a big portion of Jacksonville’s season. Minshew played well after relieving Foles, but he won’t be the steady veteran presence the Jaguars were counting on.

CHARLES KRUPA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rafael Nadal reacts after scoring a point against Daniil Medvedev during the men’s singles final at the U.S. Open on Sept. 8 in New York.