Humble Rafael Nadal

New York, Monday

An emotional Rafael Nadal says extending the years among the top players in tennis means more to him than overtaking Roger Federer’s all-time Grand Slam record or chasing after the world number one ranking.

The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander grabbed his 19th Grand Slam title and fourth US Open crown in thrilling fashion Sunday, outlasting Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 after four hours and 50 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Just very happy. This trophy means everything to me today,” said Nadal, who was moved to tears by a video tribute after the match.

“The last three hours of the match have been very intense, very tough mentally and physically, too.

With the video, the crowd that has been as always amazing, all these facts make the moment super special. An unforgettable moment,” he added. 

The dramatic victory pulled him within one Slam title of matching Federer’s all-time men’s record with top-ranked Novak Djokovic a close third on 16.

But second-ranked Nadal stressed he’s more concerned with extending his career as long and as well as possible than he is setting a major win record.

“I would love to be the one who wins more, but I am not thinking and I’m not going to practice every day or playing tennis for it,” Nadal said.

“I’m playing tennis because I love to play tennis. I can’t just think about Grand Slams. Tennis is more than Grand Slams. I need to think about the rest of the things.

I play to be happy. Of course, the victory makes me super happy.” Personal satisfaction such as what Nadal derived from holding off stubborn Medvedev in his epic fightback drives Nadal far more than comparing Slam trophy cases.

“That competition, if that attracts fans and create interest in the people, that’s good for our sport, no? I feel honoured to be part of this battle,” he said.  -AFP