Nadal wins third US Open, 16th Grand Slam title

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Rafael Nadal won his third US Open title and 16th Grand Slam crown on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 rout of South African giant Kevin Anderson.

The champion in New York in 2010, 2013 and now 2017, added the US title to the record 10th French Open he captured in June.

Old rival Roger Federer won the season's other two Slams at the Australian Open, beating Nadal in the final, and Wimbledon, in an showing of the two Grand Slam greats' enduring appeal and power.

Nadal's Grand Slam tally is just three behind Federer's record 19.

Spain's Rafael Nadal poses with his winning trophy after defeating South Africa's Kevin Anderson during their 2017 US Open Men's Singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 10, 2017. /AFP Photo

For Nadal, it was his fifth title of the year and 74th of his career while the 3.7 million US dollars (3.07 million euros) winner's prize boosted his earnings to a shade under 90 million dollars.

"It's a very special two weeks for me. It's unbelievable what's happened this year after some seasons with serious injuries and not playing very well," said Nadal.

"It's been an emotional year since the Australian Open. I played a high level of tennis and winning here in New York again it's unbelievable."

Nadal praised his coach and also uncle Toni, who has coached him since he was three but who will step down from his team at the end of the year.

"I cannot thank him enough," said the champion.

"Without him I would not be here playing tennis. He gave me strength and motivation. When I had injury problems I got through them because of him."

Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to South Africa's Kevin Anderson during the US Open in New York on September 10, 2017. /AFP Photo

'It was an honor'

It was a desperately disappointing afternoon for Anderson, the world number 32 playing in his maiden Slam final at the 34th attempt.

He was the first South African in a US championship final since Cliff Drysdale in 1965 and was aiming to become his country's first Slam champion since Johan Kriek at the 1981 Australian Open.

The Johannesburg-born, Florida-based Anderson finished the 2hr 28min final with 40 unforced errors to Nadal's 11, failing even to carve out a single break point.

Nadal, winning his first hardcourt title since January 2014 in Doha, gave up just 15 points on his serve and won 16 out of 16 net points.

"Rafa, we are the same age but I have looked up to you all of my life," said Anderson.

"It was an honor playing you. You are one of the great ambassadors of our sport."

Kevin Anderson of South Africa serves to Rafael Nadal of Spain during their 2017 US Open Men's Singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 10, 2017. /AFP Photo

In a final guaranteed to result in the fifth Slam champion in succession who is 30 or older, Nadal was on top from the start.

He had 28th-seeded Anderson scrambling to save two break points in the third and fifth games before the Spaniard converted his fifth off a forehand error for a 4-3 lead.

The world number one held and broke again, cleverly forcing the 31-year-old South African out of position on set point after 58 minutes of action.

By the end of the opening set, Nadal had just five unforced errors to Anderson's 23 with the South African unable to muster a single break point.

The mauling continued in the second set, as Nadal broke for 4-2 off the back of three successive volleys. Anderson even got a time violation for his troubles as his efforts to compose himself failed horribly and a brutal crosscourt forehand winner gave Nadal the second set 6-3.

Anderson was broken again in the opening game of the third set.

It was his fourth loss of serve in the final. Before Sunday, he had been broken just five times in the entire tournament.

Anderson called the trainer for a bloodied right index finger after the fifth game, but his struggles continued. He saved a match point but Nadal wrapped it up with a clinical backhand volley.

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Source(s): AFP