By Alberto Amalfi | Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Rafael Nadal shed tears of satisfaction—and suffering— after his epic five-set triumph over Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final.

The 33-year-old Spaniard said the physical and emotional toll of out-dueling Medvedev in a gripping four hour, 49-minute victory prompted him to shed tears when a video of all 19 of his Grand Slam victories was played on the Arthur Ashe Stadium screens.

Watch: Nadal Nets 19th Grand Slam Crown

"You have to understand the moment," Nadal told the Spanish media in comments published by El Pais. "The last three hours of the match were especially hard for me, because I had practically won it and I saw how it got very complicated, to the point of being in a really critical situation.

"It was a long time resisting and suffering both physically and mentally, and in the end you get a moment of weakness."

Conceding he has heard criticism over the years that his body could not withstand the physically-punishing style he played, Nadal said the motivation for capturing his fourth US Open crown was not about silencing the skeptics—it was about achieving his own ambition.

"I have never played to silence anyone's mouths," Nadal said. "My motivation has never been what others can think of me or to show something to those who thought I couldn't do it. It is a context from which I try to run away also in my personal life. Ambition and motivation must be personal. You have to have it for personal reasons, not external.

"It is a spirit of revenge that conceptually I do not like to have and I escape from it. You can't compete or get things from resentment. My motivations are positive, and not external and negative."

The man from Mallorca, who can match Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam titles in 2020, said he plans to continue to play for as long as his body permits.

"Just as people doubted that I could play so many years, I did too. Now and forever," Nadal admitted. "But here I am. It is day to day. For now, I am happy with what I do and as long as my body allows me to train more or less daily, I like to play tennis and meet the objectives of the competition."

This is the fifth season Nadal has won multiple majors.

The reigning Roland Garros champion is reportedly set to wed 31-year-old fiancée Xisca Perelló next month, that doesn't mean he's shutting down his season.



Nadal, who will join forces with Federer at the Laver Cup in two weeks, said he also plans to play the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals in London and is undecided about playing the Asian swing.

"It's hard for me to tell my plans right now," Nadal told the Spanish media. "I shot off after the final to the plane and did not have time to talk to the team. They arrived later in Palma and I hope in the morning or after having a conversation.

"Anyway, to decide the calendar I have to wait to see how my body evolves. We will set the priority objectives with a view to next year and the Asian tour would remain to be decided."