by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
At the start of the U.S. Open, one could say that there was probably a 90 percent chance that either Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer will win the 2019 U.S. Open.
There hasn’t been a man to defend a U.S. Open singles title since Roger Federer won his fifth title in a row in 2008 and with the U.S. Open’s hard courts still playing a bit slow, 2019 could once again be Rafael Nadal’s year to win a fourth U.S. Open title. By winning the Rogers Cup in Montreal leading into the U.S. Open, Nadal has shown that he is peaking, healthy and confident leading into the season’s final Grand Slam. Through the first week of the event, Nadal has lost only one set and is the oddsmakers leading pick to win the title, buoyed by the fourth round loss of world No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic.
Nadal first won the U.S. Open in 2010, losing one set en route (to Novak Djokovic in the final). He won again in 2013, once again beating Djokovic in the final and lost only two sets en route to the final (one to Djokovic in the final). In 2017, when Nadal won his third U.S. Open, he was not extended to five sets, losing on a set to Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals, Leo Mayer in the third round and Taro Daniel in the second round. He easily beat Kevin Anderson in the final in straight sets.
Last year, Nadal was the No. 1 seed and reigning champion in New York but encountered stiff resistance in his defense. In the third round, he survived a titanic struggle against Karen Khanchanov of Russia by a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3) in four hours and 23 minutes. In the fourth round, he dropped a set to Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.
In the quarterfinals, he endured one of the greatest and most physically taxing matches in the history of the tournament by beating Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for Nadal, despite being the pinnacle of success through the ultimate suffering on the tennis court, the wear and tear on his knee became too much and he was forced to retire in the semifinals to Juan Martin del Potro after two sets. He had played 15 hours, 54 minutes en route to the semifinals, the 4:49 marathon that finished at 2:03 a.m.
Nadal is healthy and has not have trouble with his knees, which makes him especially tough to beat. Especially in a tournament over two weeks and best-of-five set matches.
It is interesting to note that Nadal has not won the U.S. Open when he has lost two sets in a match during the tournament. In fact, he has only won two five-set matches at the U.S. Open – against Thiem in 2017 and in 2008 against a Swiss tennis player Ivo Heuberger.
Nadal has won 20 career titles on hard courts. He has been the runner-up five times on the hard courts at the Australian Open and won the title in 2009 defeating Roger Federer in an epic five-setter. Nadal is also a three-time champion in Indian Wells, but in an strange omission on his career resume, has never won the Miami Open, losing five times in the final. He is now a five-time winner on the hard courts of Canada and won in Cincinnati in 2013.
