Players: the victorious Rafael Nadal and the valiant Novak Djokovic
• Rafael Nadal. A golf course specialist can win on all surfaces
In September 2010, Nadal was only 24 years old, but his achievements had already secured his place in tennis history. The Spaniard’s clay court records were unparalleled. Almost unbeatable on his favorite surface, he had won French Open Championship In his first attempt in 2005 (defeating Mariano Puerta in the final, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5), he has won since then Roland Garros four times in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 with a 38-1 record in Paris.
Apart from Robin Soderling, who defeated him in the fourth round in 2009 (6-2, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6), no one had managed to win more than one set against Nadal at Roland Garros. He had a record 81 consecutive victories on red clay, in which he had already won 29 tournaments. Also, after his second Grand Slam win, he improved his game, making it more aggressive to make it more effective on fast surfaces. Defeated by Roger Federer Wimbledon A finalist in 2006 and 2007, he eventually won the title at the All-England Club in 2008, beating his Swiss opponent in one of the greatest matches in tennis history (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7). That victory saw him become world No. 1 for the first time in August 2008, ending Federer’s 237-week reign.
In 2009, Nadal won his first Grand Slam title on hard courts Australian Open — where he survived a five-hour semifinal against compatriot Fernando Verdasco (6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4) before fighting back in five sets to defeat Federer in the final (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2). Injuries plagued him over the next 12 months, but he came back stronger than ever in the spring of 2010, getting revenge on Soderling in the Roland Garros final (6-4, 6-2, 6-4), before winning his second Wimbledon title by beating Tomasz Berdych in straight sets in the final (6-3, 4-4). Able to win on any surface, she was now chasing the only Grand Slam title missing from her list of achievements, the US Open, where she had yet to reach the final.
• Novak Djokovic. rising Serbian with one Grand Slam under his belt
Novak Djokovic was born in 1987 in Serbia. He broke into the top 100 in 2005, finishing the year as world No. 83. In 2006, he made a name for himself by reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, ranked only 63rd. Djokovic’s breakthrough year was 2007, when he reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon (stopped both times by Nadal), before losing to Federer (7-6 7-6 6-4) in the US Open final.
In early 2008, he won his first major tournament, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6) at the Australian Open. Djokovic then remained world No. 3 for the next two years, often reaching the finals of major events, where Federer and Nadal continued to stand in the way of adding more major titles to his list. The Spaniard knocked him out in the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2008 (6-4, 6-2, 7-6), and the Swiss stopped him twice in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows in 2008 and 2009.
As of September 2010, Djokovic had already won 17 tour titles, including one Grand Slam, the 2008 Masters Cup (defeating Nikolay Davydenko 6–1, 7–5 in the final) and five Masters 1000s.
The placeFlushing Meadows, New York
The US Open (known as the US Nationals until 1968 and the start of the Open Era) was founded in 1881 and, although it is the only Grand Slam tournament to have been played every year without interruption since its inception, it has moved several times in the 20th century.
First held in August 1881 on the grass courts of the Newport Casino in Rhode Island, the tournament moved to New York in 1915, where it was held at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills until 1977 (except for 1921-1923, when the event was moved to Philadelphia). Built in 1924, Center Court in Forest Hills could hold 14,000 spectators.
In 1978, the US Open left the West Side Tennis Club, now too small for such an important event, for the USTA National Tennis Center in New York. The tennis center was one of the largest tennis complexes in the world. its center field was Louis Armstrong Stadium, which held 14,000 spectators. In 1997, a new center court, Arthur Ashe Stadium, was opened. With 23,000 seats, it was the largest tennis arena in the world.
The factsNadal finally won the US Open title in full sets
In the 2010 US Open final, the two players were both on a mission. World No.1 Nadal was determined to win at Flushing Meadows to clinch a career Grand Slam at the age of 24. World No.3 and 23-year-old Djokovic had not won a second Grand Slam since his success at the 2008 Australian Open and was desperate to confirm his potential and aim for the top ranking.
The US Open was Nadal’s least favorite major at the time. He suffered several early losses in New York, with his best results coming in the semifinals in 2008 and 2009. However, he was stronger than ever after winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2010. His serve was now much faster, making him less vulnerable on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. In fact, he made it to the finals without dropping a set.
It was a goal we had in mind when we weren’t sure if we would achieve it. But he returns better, serves a little better and is closer to the baseline.
Tony Nadal
Djokovic, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. After a disappointing 2009 season, he was far from reaching his goals in 2010. Claiming only one title, her best result was in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Berdych (6-3, 7-6, 6-3). After being pushed to five sets in the first round of the US Open by compatriot Viktor Troicki (6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3), he did not face much trouble until meeting Roger Federer in the semi-finals. He prevailed over the Swiss after an epic battle in which he saved two points (5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5).
The Serb was determined to give his all to challenge Nadal and came up with an aggressive game plan, but the Spaniard held out thanks to his incredible court coverage. Both players engaged in breathtaking baseline rallies, but Nadal had more chances to break his opponent’s serve. This was the key to the final. While the left-hander has certainly improved his serve in recent months, Djokovic has struggled with technical issues since 2009 that have often put him in danger.
In the end, Nadal won in four sets (6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2) after a battle lasting three hours and 43 minutes.
“More than I dreamed.” That’s how the Spaniard, who just won a career Grand Slam, described how he felt after his victory.
His uncle and coach, Tony, was. according to The New York Times, more talkative. “Besides the win, it gives me great satisfaction to see how much he has improved on the fast courts,” said Uncle Tony. “It was a goal we had in mind, we never knew for sure if we would get there. But he returns better, serves a little better and is closer to the baseline. A chipped backhand is much better. In the end, it’s really satisfying.”
What next? The two men continued their rivalry at the top for a decade
Although it seemed at the time that no one could challenge Nadal’s dominance, things would change in 2011 when Djokovic became the new leader of the tour, claiming every Grand Slam except Roland Garros. In the years that followed, the rivalry between Nadal and Djokovic would reach its peak and become one of the greatest of all time. Until September 2023, they have met each other 59 times, the Serbian won 30-29. As of now, Nadal has won 22 Grand Slam titles, while Djokovic is the all-time leader in men’s tennis with 24.
