Rafa's rise to world domination!

All hail the new king of the courts. Rafael Nadal fell to his knees under the leaden skies of Flushing Meadows on Monday after beating Novak Djokovic to be crowned US Open champion and firmly cement his place in the history books.

After two weeks of charming the New York crowds with brute force and devastating beauty, the 24-year-old Spaniard finally got his hands on the trophy that had eluded him for so long to become only the seventh man to complete the Grand Slam set. Five titles on the Roland Garros clay, two on the Wimbledon grass and last year's victory at the Australian Open were signs of greatness in the making.

Nadal's 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2 win over Serbia's weary number three seed meant the New York concrete had finally been conquered after seven years of trying. Sunday's downpours merely delayed his conquest. "That's more than I dreamt," declared the man from Mallorca who had never previously got past the US Open semi-finals. "For the first time in my career, I played a very, very good match in this tournament. I played my best match in the US Open at the most important moment."

It was a contest that Roger Federer, five-time champion in New York and loser to Djokovic in this year's semis, could not bear to watch. The 29-year-old Swiss had already been replaced by Nadal at the top of the rankings and with the player boasting the deadliest and most powerful left arm in the business now more than halfway to Federer's haul of 16 Grand Slam titles, it could be argued the Spaniard is set to topple his arch rival.

Federer has up until recently been hailed by many to be the greatest. Nadal says any comparisons with him are "stupid". But the stats are compelling.

When analysing the duo's accomplishments at the same age, Federer secured the Slam sweep at the 2009 French Open aged two-and-a-half years older than Nadal's current age. Nadal has won 42 titles with Federer having won 33 when aged 24, while Nadal has won 82.4% of his matches, compared to Federer's 76.6% five years ago.

Bjorn Borg, US Open runner-up four times, was the only other man to bag nine major championship victories by 24.

NADAL v FEDERER AT SAME AGE

Matches won - lost (Nadal): 460 - 98

Matches won - lost (Federer): 390 - 119

Winning %: 82.4 - 76.6

Titles: 42 - 33

Grand Slams: 9 - 6

Slams played: 26 - 27

Davis Cup titles: 3 - 0

Olympic golds: 1 - 0

Longest winning streak: 32-34

Nadal first picked up a racquet aged four with his uncle Toni (who remains his mentor and coach) and after turning professional in 2001, won his first match on the ATP circuit in Mallorca to become the ninth player in the professional era to win an ATP match before his 16th birthday.

His first ATP title arrived in Poland in 2004, a year later he became the first man since Mats Wilander (1982) to win the French Open title on his debut and in the following year at Roland Garros, racked up his 54th consecutive clay-court win. His winning streak on clay would go on to reach 81.

His march to the top was relentless. A straights-set demolition of Federer ensured a fourth successive French Open crown in 2008 and a month later, the Swiss was toppled once again in a five-set epic as Nadal conquered Wimbledon's grass for the first time. Federer was again on the receiving end eight months later in the Australian Open final as his Spanish nemesis powered his way to glory on Melbourne's hard courts in another belting five-setter.

The left-hander's rise has not been without its setbacks. The last year has been a monumental test, on and off the court, with knee tendonitis, abdominal pain, a knee injury and the break-up of his parents all proving major obstacles.

"The life changes sometimes," Nadal said in New York on Monday night. "The second half of the year was very difficult. Ten months ago seems like I was never going to be the same. Now seems it's going to be one of the greatest."

The true test of Nadal's greatness will be his longevity and being able to surpass Federer's 16 Slam crowns. His approach to this year's tournament at Flushing Meadows and his evolution from king of clay to king of concrete provides a glimpse of what the future may hold.

While the packed crowd on Arthur Ashe cheered their tearful new victor on Monday, Nadal admitted the US Open was the most difficult tournament to play in - having to adjust his game for the "balls, the court, everything, but especially the serve". As well as the barrage of missiles firing at all angles from the baseline, his serve is now one of his crucial weapons.

Nadal's average serve speed increased from 107mph in 2009 to 119 this year, and through six rounds and 91 service games in the build-up to the Djokovic clash, he won 84% of his first-serve points and was broken just twice. These could be worrying signs for anybody considering competing with the current Slam champion of three surfaces and last year's winner in Melbourne.

Djokovic, the only player to take a set off Nadal in seven matches at Flushing Meadows, said: "Nadal is proving each day, each year, that he's getting better. That's what's so frustrating. He's getting better each time you play him. "He's so mentally strong and dedicated to this sport. He has all the capabilities, everything he needs, in order to be the biggest ever."

John McEnroe, a four-time champion in New York, had no doubt of Nadal's credentials in August when predicting Nadal's success at the US Open. "The guy's just an animal. He's mentally and physically incredible," the American former world number one said.

More telling perhaps was Nadal's verdict that there remained room for improvement. He added: "I need to keep working on my serve and be more aggressive. I am not a perfect player. Everybody can improve."

RAFAEL NADAL TIMELINE

1986: Born 3 June

2003: Makes top 50 for first time

2005: June - wins French Open title on debut

2006: Defends French open title with 59-game unbeaten streak

2007: May - Winning streak on clay ends at 81 matches with defeat in the final of Hamburg Masters to Federer

2007: Wins third straight French Open, beating Federer in the final for second successive year

2007: Loses Wimbledon final to Federer over five sets

2008: Beats Federer to win fourth successive French Open title to become fifth player to win a Grand Slam without dropping a set

2008: Beats Federer to win first Wimbledon title and become first man since Borg in 1980 to hold Wimbledon and French Open titles simultaneously

2008: August - Wins Olympic gold in Beijing

2009: Beats Federer to win first Australian Open title

2010: January - Retires with knee injury in Australian Open quarter-final when trailing Murray

2010: June - Beats Murray and Thomas Berdych to claim second Wimbledon title

Who is the GOAT??

A terrific US Open final, between two good friends hitting the spirit out of each other with a tennis ball, ended with Rafael Nadal on the ground, body shaking with emotion, secure in the knowledge he had joined the list of all-time greats.

A dazzle of flashbulbs helped capture history as the 24-year-old Spaniard completed that magical tennis set of all four majors. It was his ninth Grand Slam overall.

It was a worthy final. Towards the end the magnificent Djokovic was smashing winners without a chance of victory. He somehow believed he could do it, that was evident from the ambition he admirably showed, and of course it was possible, but Nadal was in the mood. You could see it in his widening eyes and feel it in the snap of his improved serve and the force of his groundstrokes.

And so, in successive years, we have two players winning the career Grand Slam. Only five men - Perry, Budge, Laver, Emerson and Agassi - had won the set before Roger Federer joined the club last season. Now his great rival Nadal has sealed his place in history. How lucky we are to have been around to see this unique happening.

So where does this leave the rivalry? Where does Nadal stand now?

Federer has more titles, a world record 16 majors, but Nadal is much younger and - important to the debate - has beaten his rival to win in Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Federer's triumphs over Nadal at the majors have come exclusively on the London lawns.

Add, Nadal's Olympic gold from Beijing, a record haul of Masters titles
- including three in a row on clay this spring (never done before) - plus Davis Cup victories and it's arguably a stronger list of accolades.

Brad Gilbert said on Twitter immediately after the final: "There's your GOAT [Greatest of All Time]". Surely that is premature.

Nadal in my mind has to match Federer's longevity, consistency and domination. At least come close to it. The Swiss' streak of consecutive major semis, which only ended this year, is something extraordinary and one of the factors which keeps him ahead. Just.

Of course there is no prize for this and I know some people like to grumble about these comparison pieces, but rivalries make sport so compelling - the quest for unmatchable performance and historic accomplishments. The quest for true greatness.

Nadal is improving, adapting, hungry and healthy. On the New York evidence, it is entirely possible that he could become the greatest.
Perhaps you think he is already there. As we just enjoy these modern day tennis riches, let the debates continue! What do you think?

Tribute to Rafa!!

Rafael Nadal has always been a man in a hurry, so it’s little surprise that he is now the youngest player in the Open Era, at just 24, to complete a career Grand Slam following his four-set victory over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final.

Nadal is redefining the way the game is being played and has earned the right to be included in the debate about who is the greatest player of all-time. Yes, he’s still seven Grand Slam titles shy of Roger Federer’s record haul of 16 – not that Grand Slam titles should be the only consideration – but it would be a brave observer to suggest the Spaniard won’t eventually approach or break Federer’s record, which may itself continue to grow in coming years. Nadal has won his nine Grand Slam titles in his first 26 appearances at the majors. By comparison, Bjorn Borg won nine in his first 22; Federer won nine in his first 30 and Sampras nine in his first 31.

Could it be just five months ago that Nadal was enduring an 11-month title drought before he began his clay-court campaign at Monte-Carlo? How things have changed! Between mid April and mid September Nadal won three consecutive Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open and became the first man ever to make a sweep of the three clay court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in the one season when he won Monte-Carlo (for the loss of just 14 games!), Rome and Madrid. His Madrid triumph, at age 23, earned him a record 18th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, beating the 17th title that Andre Agassi won at 34 years of age.

At 18, Nadal was already giving every indication that he would one day be regarded as one of the greatest clay courters of all time, winning Monte-Carlo, Rome and (days after turning 19) Roland Garros. In all, in 2005 he won eight clay court tournaments among 11 titles – the most ever won in one season by a teenager.

But there we also signs in 2005 that Nadal was not a Spanish clay court stereotype. He won ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles indoors in Madrid and on a fast hard court in Montreal, where in the final he took out no less than Agassi, one of the greatest hard court players in history. When Nadal made a stunning run to the Wimbledon final in 2006 to prove his versatility on grass, the tennis world had all the proof it needed that Federer was not the only player capable of completing a career Slam.

That Nadal has won all four majors is not really a surprise, but the speed of his achievement perhaps is. Let’s not forget that Federer was 28 when he completed his career Slam at Roland Garros. And what a golden era for tennis to have these two all-time greats playing at the same time. There was a 30-year gap between Rod Laver winning his Open Era calendar-year Grand Slam in 1969 and when Andre Agassi completed a career Grand Slam in 1999. Tennis fans had to wait little more than one year for Nadal to clinch his career Slam after Federer did it in 2009 at Roland Garros.

What is the secret of his success? Many things, of course, but above all a unrivaled mental toughness and unrelenting determination to keep getting better. Once regarded as having little more than a handy serve, Nadal is now firing 135 mph cannons and proved during the US Open that he is one of the toughest players to break, dropping serve just twice en route to the final. Raised as a baseliner with extreme grips, Nadal has worked tirelessly to become one of the most reliable volleyers in the game. And let’s not forget the resilience he’s shown to recover from long-standing knee tendinitis, which kept him from defending his Wimbledon title in 2009.
Nadal's next missions are likely to be more like a marathon than a sprint: trying to top Federer's haul of 16 majors and perhaps Sampras' all-time mark of 286 weeks spent as World No. 1. But, at 24, time is on his side.