Rafael Nadal recovers from mid-match wobble to defeat Novak Djokovic in US Open final

Rafael Nadal displayed nerves of steel to record a punishing four-set victory over Novak Djokovic to win the US Open.

While Djokovic was losing to Andy Murray in the final last year, Nadal was at home in Majorca resting his injured knee unsure whether he would ever be able to challenge for the title in New York again.

His comeback has been remarkable, with 10 trophies won and only three matches lost since February, and his 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory in New York was almost certainly the most satisfying of the lot.


Nadal has now won 13 grand slam titles - only four behind Roger Federer - while he and Djokovic have shared their six slam finals.

The Serbian stays number one in the world for now, but it will be virtually impossible for him to hang onto the spot for much longer.

Nadal said: "It's very emotional. Only my team knows how much this means to me. Playing against Novak is always very special - probably nobody brings my game to the limit like he does. I'm sure he will finish his career as one of the best in history."

No two men in the Open era have played each other more than Djokovic and Nadal.
Matches between the two have been defined by their brutal physicality, the two best exponents of defence in tennis going toe to toe.