World No.1 Novak Djokovic congratulated US Open winner Rafael Nadal for her performance in the final as the Spaniard won his fourth title in New York to become the most successful player at Flushing Meadows in the past decade.
The Big Three - Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic - are in constant battle with each other as they compete to finish with the most number of Grand Slam titles. Currently, Federer has 20, Nadal 19 and Djokovic 16. However, after the epic five-setter in New York, Djokovic put the competition aside and took to Twitter to congratulate Nadal on the win.
Djokovic was in awe of Nadal's "fighting spirit" while he gave a thumbs up to Medvedev as saying for an "incredible summer".
"Congrats to Rafa for creating more history in our sport and showcasing amazing fighting spirit. And congrats to Daniil for an incredible summer on hardcourt in USA. You should be proud of yourself. Great things to come for you. Well done boys & thank you for fantastic match," Djokovic tweeted.Congrats to Rafa for creating more history in our sport and showcasing amazing fighting spirit. And congrats to Daniil for an incredible summer on hardcourt in USA. You should be proud of yourself. Great things to come for you. Well done boys & thank you 🙏 for fantastic match. https://t.co/dpCJA0UFt6— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 9, 2019
A routine end to the Flushing Meadows fortnight looked on the cards when Nadal, already two sets up, broke for a 3-2 lead over the tall Russian in the third with the 19th Grand Slam title apparently in the bag.
From that point, however, the match was transformed into a near five-hour thriller as Medvedev staged a comeback that left the Spaniard shaken and Arthur Ashe Stadium buzzing.
However, Nadal fought like he is known to and emerged victorious in the end.
The 33-year-old lefthander became second oldest U.S. Open champion in the professional era behind Australian Ken Rosewall, who was 35 when he lifted the title in 1970.
On the ropes with Medvedev looking to deliver the knockout blow, Nadal showed once again why he is the game's greatest fighter and he lifted himself off the canvas to scrap his way to the title.
The quality of tennis in the final three sets was breathtaking at times, the long rallies swinging back and forth with neither player prepared to give up a single point without stretching every sinew.
