Pride and passion of Rafael Nadal a lesson to misfiring young guns | Kevin Mitchell


The Spaniard’s victory at the US Open for his 16th grand slam title was a tribute to his enduring commitment and he reacted to the triumph with typical grace

In three words, Rafael Nadal captured the essence of his tennis career and his life: “Very happy, no?”

It was getting late at Flushing Meadows, a place where the Spanish clay-court supremo was never supposed to thrive but where he has appeared in four finals, won three titles and won 53 of 64 matches. Only a few hours earlier, he had neutered the power of the big South African Kevin Anderson to take his tally of majors to 16, again only three behind Roger Federer.

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