For his return to New York since his title in 2019, Rafael Nadal fell from a height: the Spaniard was eliminated on Monday in the round of 16 of the US Open by the American Frances Tiafoe who was able to take him up to speed. In the absence of Novak Djokovic, banned from entering United States territory because he has not been vaccinated against Covid, world No.2 Alexander Zverev, who is recovering from a right ankle injury, and after the Sunday elimination of world No.1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev, the Majorcan was favorite to win a fifth Major at Flushing Meadows and bring his record of Grand Slam titles to 23.
The place of world N.1 remains free
But he fell on a Tiafoe (26th in the world) who played the match of his life when he himself regretted not having been able to play his best tennis. “He played well, he did a lot of things very well. On my side, I had my chances, and if I want to be in the quarters, I have to play better than that,” said the 36-year-old Spaniard. .
“You have to be ready to seize the chances that arise. And I wasn’t able to. He knew how to do it, he played with the right determination,” he added. Nadal only converted two of the six break points he got when Tiafoe won five of eight.
Nadal’s defeat leaves the race wide open for the place of world N.1 that Medvedev will automatically give up on September 12: the Spaniard remains in the running, but the chances of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and the Norwegian Casper Ruud, still in the running in New York, suddenly skyrocketed.
Tiafoe had never made it past the round of 16 at the US Open
Tiafoe, who had never passed the round of 16 at the US Open (he had reached the quarters in Australia in 2019), therefore continued on his way. “I don’t know what to say, I don’t believe it… I played incredible tennis, I don’t know what happened,” he said hotly, on a cloud, before leaving the Arthur-Ashe court where the feat and the ovation of the public had clouded his eyes.
It is he who will face the Russian Andrey Rublev (11th) for a place in the semis. After having had to fight five sets in the previous round to dismiss the Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the super tie break in more than 4 hours of combat, the Russian got rid of the Briton Cameron Norrie (9th) 6-4, 6-4, 6- 4. “We still played two and a half hours, it’s long!”, He said, half joking.
At 24, he will attempt for the sixth time to reach the last four of a Grand Slam tournament, his third attempt in New York.