• Nadal. "Winning in Montreal has helped me"
  • Draw.Millman, Nadal's first rival in the US Open
  • Frame.First round male

Rafael Nadal's close relationship with the United States Open is based on deep-seated successes, even greater than what it means to conquer a Grand Slam title. Three times winner of the tournament, 2010, 2013 and 2017, the world number two today, which debuts before John Millman , 61, at one o'clock in the morning on Wednesday, completed in New York the conquest of the four Grand Slam tournaments at be imposed on Novak Djokovic in the final of 2010, under the suspense to which the contribution of the rain was added.

"History is waiting for you," John McEnroe told him before jumping on the track that September 13, when he added his name to Fred Perrry, Donald Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer , becoming the Younger tennis player of the professional era who achieved the squaring of the circle. Djokovic, who beat 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 and 6-2, would join the select group after winning in 2016 his hitherto unique Roland Garros.

«It is a tournament that transmits great energy to me. The audience here is very passionate and I have always had a great connection with this track and with the people », the Spanish has recently said about the US Open, which would not be seen with Djokovic or Federer until a hypothetical final.

The balls of 2005

Able to assert his abilities on any surface, as he again demonstrated two weeks ago with his fifth 1000 Masters in Canada, Nadal had some attitude problems during his first visits to Flushing Meadows. In 2005, the defeat in the third round with James Blake was preceded by his bad feelings with the Wilson balls from the beginning of the tournament. "He complained in all clashes," recalled Toni Nadal , then his coach. «I told him: 'you should lose and in Palma you will find good balls'». A few months later, he beat Guillermo Coria to take the Beijing tournament, which was played with balls ... Wilson.

They adapt the results to their adaptability. In addition to the three titles, Nadal played the 2011 final and has been three times semifinalist, the last one last year, when he retired due to injury with an unfavorable score against Juan Martín del Potro .

The 2013 title, in another episode of his long rivalry with Djokovic, came in the edition where best tennis managed to capture, according to his own thermometer. It was also the platform to start the second stage as world number 1, which was raised weeks later, in Beijing.

New York had witnessed a new resurgence. It was difficult to estimate the future in Nadal's elite after the knee injury suffered the previous year in Wimbledon. He closed the course with 10 titles and concluded for the third year at the top of the ladder.

This week we talk about

  • The United States Open

  • The last big of the season starts this Monday and can be seen through Eurosport. Novak Djokovic defends the title. New York renews the fight between the three players with the most Grand Slam titles: Federer, 20; Nadal, 18, and the Serbian, 16.

  • Federer, no title since 2008

  • Just turned 38, the Swiss says that it has been a long time since the tournament arrived so well. The truth is that he fell against Rublev in his second game in Cincinnati and that was in 2008 when he raised his fifth consecutive cup in New York.

  • Waiting for the 'outsiders'

  • And it has been waiting for a long time. Daniil Medvedev, champion in Cincinnati and finalist in Montreal, has been the sensation of summer, but never passed eighth in a top-class tournament. Thiem, Zverev, Khachanov, Kyrgios ... You know.

  • A devilish picture for 'Nole'

  • Always from the hypothesis, in case of surpassing the Spanish Roberto Carballés in the debut, he could deal successively with Sam Querrey, Stan Wawrinka, who defeated him in the 2016 final, Kevin Anderson, finalist in 2017, Daniil Medvedev ...

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  • Rafael Nadal
  • US Open
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Roger Federer
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