Nadal, chasing a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title, was clearly hampered by the abdominal strain that forced him to retire before his Wimbledon semi-final in July, but showed his trademark fighting spirit to create a thrilling spectacle to Arthur Ash. Court. However, Tiafoe’s shot proved too much for the Spaniard to overcome and the American came from a break down in the fourth set to seal a 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory in three hours and 33 minutes. Tiafoe is advancing to just the second Grand Slam quarter-final of his career, having reached the last eight at the Australian Open in 2019, and will next face Andrey Rublev after the Russian saw off British No 1 Cameron Norrie in straight sets earlier on Monday. Image: Tiafoe advances to Grand Slam quarterfinals for just the second time in his career “I’m beyond happy, I’m almost in tears. I can’t believe it,” Tiafoe said on the court in his post-match interview. “He’s definitely one of the best of all time. I played incredible tennis today, but I really don’t know what happened. “I came out without giving Rafa all due respect, I came out to win a tennis match in front of you guys.”
Tiafoe vs Nadal: Match Stats
Tiafoe Nadal Match Stats 18 Aces 9 4 Double Faults 9 50% 1st Serve Rate 52% 76% 1st Serve Win Rate 73% 60% 2nd Serve Win Rate 56% 4/7 Break Points Won 2/6 49 Total Winners 8 for 33 errors 26 119 Total points 110
Despite playing just one match before the US Open after pulling out of Wimbledon, Nadal, who won the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year, battled through the first three rounds in New York to extend his streak Grand Slam wins in 22 matches. The nature of his apparent physical struggles during Monday’s defeat left doubts over whether he is likely to play again this year, with the Spaniard currently scheduled to feature at the Laver Cup in London later this month. “I will try to be mentally ready,” Nadal said. “When I feel like I’m ready to fight again, I’ll be there. “Tennis is a positional sport. You have to be very, very fast and very young. “I couldn’t create the damage I used to do.” The 36-year-old was not at his best in the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows, and his serve continued to be slow, while he seemed comfortable only directing it to Tiafoe’s backhand. Despite Nadal not being in full flow, the entire match was fiercely contested, with Tiafoe capitalizing on the only break point of the first set to take it 6-4. Nadal left the court for a medical timeout at the end of the first, and came out more aggressive in the second, eventually impressing as Tiafoe served to stay in it at 4-5. Image: Nadal appeared to be struggling with an injury during the loss Spurred on by a crowd that contained plenty of supporters for each player, Tiafoe refused to let his level drop and once again broke for 3-3 to advance, before twice holding serve to restore his lead. There was drama early in the fourth as, with clouds gathering, tournament officials made the decision to close the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium to avoid a repeat of the scenes earlier in the day when a wet court had led to a 45-minute delay . Rather than wait five minutes for the roof to close, play was decided to resume and Tiafoe, perhaps influenced by the changing conditions, broke to give Nadal a 3-1 lead. The American was visibly furious and earned himself an audible foul warning after directing a riot at referee Carlos Bernardes. Image: Tiafoe will face Andrei Rublev in the last eight However, Tiafoe quickly regained his focus and reeled off five straight games – including three consecutive breaks of serve – to seal a victory that makes him the youngest American to reach the US Open quarter-finals since Andy Roddick was a finalist in 2006 . “When I first came on the scene I felt like a lot of people had a lot of expectations of me about how I would do and that sort of thing,” the 24-year-old said. “I wasn’t ready for it, mentally I wasn’t mature enough for those moments, and the last two years that weren’t for me, I was able to develop. “I’ve got a great team behind me and I’ve got my head down. I’m happy where I’m at in life in general. I can make it, do it my way and enjoy the game I love.” Don’t forget to follow us at skysports.com/tennis, our Twitter account @skysportstennis & Sky Sports – on the go! Available to download now on – iPhone & iPad and Android
