Number 1 seeded Rafael Nadal won his second Grand Slam of the year; marking 16 triumphs. The 31-year-old marked his comeback by defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in the U.S. Open Men’s final last Sunday.

I had the privilege of watching The King of Clay dominate the hard courts of Arthur Ashe in the Men's Semifinal against the 6 foot 6 Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro, also known as Delpo.

Like many die-hard Tennis fanatics, I hoped to witness the most anticipated showdown of the entire two weeks: the US Open Semifinal matchup between Nadal and Federer or the “Fedal Slam.” Two of the most legendary champions in men’s tennis have created one of the greatest rivalries in the sport. Interestingly enough, this Semifinal face-off would have been their first meeting at the Open. Unfortunately, this clash-off never transpired as the 28 seeded Argentine knocked out the Swiss native in four sets.

After defeating Federer in the Quarter Finals, Delpo emotionally told his fans in Spanish that he would never forget their inspirational impact. Often praising their endless support, Delpo graciously thanked his Argentinian fans after beating Thiem in a thrilling 5 set match: “Goodnight to everybody and thank you very much from the heart for the support you gave me...was very useful to not to abandon, not to give up, and this match I will always remember.”

As I unluckily sat amongst Del Potro’s “cult” with their blue and white soccer jerseys, I could not help but admire how many Argentinian fans stood in the crowd commencing the “Olé, olé, olé, olé, Delpo, Delpo!" chants starting in the upper deck, bouncing off the open roof, and eventually filling the whole stadium. The chant persisted endlessly, prompting the chair umpire to quiet the crowd using English, “Thank you,” and Spanish, “Gracias,” a tactic rarely, if ever, used at the US Open.

Nadal’s tactic was to direct his shots to the Argentine’s backhand; del Potro’s backhand, however, was surprisingly punishing. He would eventually break the Spaniard in the first set.

As it turned out, the first set was a fatigued del Potro’s last shot at this Open. Having fought off a cold all week, saving two match points against Thiem in a five-set thriller in the fourth round, and beating Federer in the quarterfinals, del Potro had nothing more to give. Nadal, who played in the U.S. Open final in 2013, finally seized the opportunity to light up the blue and white courts once again.

It was not a few years ago that tennis fans believed Nadal’s best days were behind him because of his constant run-in with injuries. But to underestimate the desire and zealous nature of the Spaniard is not smart. With his innate competitive talent, Nadal confronts today’s challenges rather than obsessing over the past troubles; this triumphant season has been a testimony to his unprecedented resilience and drive. From the look in his eyes and the spring still in his legs, this will probably not be Nadal’s last time holding the champion’s trophy. Cheers to many more titles and trophy bites, Happy Sweet 16 Rafa!

#CheersToTheChamp