Novak Djokovik forehand pushed Nadal back behind the baseline during the third set of Monday's U.S. Open men's finals, according to USA Today.
Nadal was seen tripping over his own feet and tumbled to the ground in a slow motion. According to reports, that instant fall seemed symbolic, a turning point. Nadal then faced triple-break point and the prospect of Djokovik taking a two-sets-to-one lead.
Point by point, Nadal dug himself out of the hole. An ace - his only one in the match - got the game to deuce. Four points later, he had a most improbable hold. Six points after that, he'd broken Djokovic to take the third set 6-4.
Nadal broke Djokovic twice in the fourth set and held on for a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. It is the second U.S. Open win of Nadal's career and his 13th career Grand Slam championship.
Monday's win also continues a spectacular season for Nadal. He has won 10 titles; the U.S. Open crown runs his record to 22-0 on hardcourts and 60-3 on the season. This has all come after a seven-month hiatus from the sport (due to the knee issues), prompting Nadal to call this the "most emotional season of my career."
"With seven months, I am sure that I will not forget how to play tennis," Nadal said. "But at the end, the most important thing and the most difficult thing is to be healthy. If you are healthy, if you have been in the top positions (in the sport) for nine years already or eight years and you stop for seven months, why you will not have the chance to be back there?
If you are healthy, if you keep playing with excitement and passion for the game, why you will not have the chance to be there?"
