RAFAEL NADAL KING OF TENNIS

2017 US Open FINAL Rafael Nadal bt. Kevin Anderson  6/3 6/3 6/4 

Rafael Nadal completed a dominant run to his 16th Grand Slam championship, notching a third US Open title at Flushing Meadows. The top seed defeated Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday's final.
In 2013, Nadal entered the US Open at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and would emerge with the trophy. Four years later, history repeated itself. The top-ranked Spaniard prevailed in two hours and 27 minutes over the South African, adding to titles won in 2010 and '13.
Nadal, who extends his growing lead in the Emirates ATP Race To London to 1,860 points, caps an impressive Grand Slam campaign with his second major victory of 2017 (Roland Garros). The win gives him the upper hand in the fight for year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with Roger Federer.
"It's been a very special two weeks for me," Nadal told ESPN in his post-match interview. "But before I talk about me, I want to say congrats to Kevin. He's a great example for a lot of kids and the rest of the tour to come back better than ever.
"For me, personally it's unbelievable. After a couple of years with some injury problems, it has been very emotional since the beginning of the season. Since the Australian Open, I've been playing a very high level of tennis. Winning here in New York gives me great energy, because the crowd is unbelievable. They make me feel so happy."
"Rafa is one of the greatest ambassadors in our sport, so congrats to him," Anderson said in his post-match interview with ESPN. "It's been an amazing two weeks for me. To make my first final of a Grand Slam has really been special. I can take a lot of positive from this summer. A lot of emotions to deal with. I was up against a pretty good opponent today. I'll continue working hard to give myself more opportunities. I'll take it a day at a time and I'm really pleased with how things turned out here."

Source: ATP World Tour

Photos: AFP; AP; REUTERS; EPA; Getty Images

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