Nadal has 18 slams in his sights after picking up No 13 in New York

Nadal has 18 slams in his sights after picking up No 13 in New York

As Pete Sampras amassed his 14th Grand Slam title, the feeling was that men’s tennis was likely to prove too strong in future for anyone to better his benchmark.
When Roger Federer swept past that and got up to what is his likely final tally of 17, the reaction was the same and probably more emphatic.
Think again. In the wake of Rafael Nadal’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1  US Open final triumph, there is the very real prospect of the great Swiss being knocked off the top of this star-laden pile.

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Once Novak Djokovic had  finished berating himself for failing to take his chances in the third set, he put the case. ‘Thirteen Slams for a guy who is 27 is incredible, it’s something everyone should respect.
'He still has a lot of years to play, that’s all I can say,’ said the crestfallen Serb.
As they are fond of saying in the USA, where Nadal has just gone 17 matches on hard courts unbeaten, ‘do the math’. His dominance at Roland Garros is such that there must be the likelihood he will win two or three more times there.

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Champion: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in four sets to win his 13th Grand Slams

That leaves maybe just two more Slams to be garnered elsewhere to make 18 and, if his knees hold up, you would fancy it.
The argument is strengthened by the fact that Federer seems to be fading and that only Djokovic and Andy Murray are plausible candidates to stop him.
Below them, others are either still short of fulfilling their potential (Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov) or getting locked out with such regularity (Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro) that it is hard to see where the consistent challenge is coming from.
Soberingly for Murray, who is in Croatia with his Great Britain colleagues preparing for Friday’s Davis Cup tie, Nadal has often proved an insurmountable foe.

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Next stop for Nadal is to topple Djokovic as world No 1. The process is likely to be completed in Asia next month as he stands a mere 120 points behind.
Since returning in February, he has won 60 matches and lost three. He can possibly post one of the best seasons ever in terms of wins, although he will struggle to match John  McEnroe’s 82-3 of 1984.
Fans in the UK should be able to see him finish the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at  London’s O2 Arena in November.
In the wake of Monday’s triumph he called for the season-ending event to have its surface rotated, rather than being on indoor hard court, which is a reminder that he remains wary of playing on the surface because of what it can do to him physically.
One recalls visiting him in Madrid almost a year ago and finding him  downcast. He could do nothing more than swim one kilometre a day and perform rehab work in the gym as he tried to overcome the tendinitis in his knees.

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Among the treatment he has had is injections of blood platelets. That and prolonged rest and endless rehab work appear to have solved the problem for now but, as he heads into his late twenties, his physical health cannot be guaranteed.
He says his practice routine has not altered and he makes light of what was a painful absence, which included speculation he might not play again on concrete. ‘When I came back in Chile (in February) I said the most important thing is to be healthy. I knew that in seven months I would not forget how to play tennis,’ he said.
‘If you have been in the top positions for eight or nine years already, why would you not have the chance to get back there? I felt confident that if I am healthy I will have chances to compete for Grand Slams, but I never thought I would win two in one year. ’

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Whatever the questions about his body, it is his constant willingness to evolve as a player, shown in his more aggressive play and skilful use of the serve, that makes him so remarkable. That is why he could end up as the greatest ever.
Andy Murray, who has confirmed his qualification for the ATP World Tour finals, has set up a company to oversee his business affairs with long-term manager Simon Fuller.
It is called 77, for the number of years it took Britain to find another Wimbledon men’s champion after Fred Perry.

Losing his footing: Nadal taking a tumble during the match

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