Nadal travels long road to win 16th Slam title at US Open

Spain’s Rafael Nadal poses with his winning trophy after defeating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson during their 2017 US Open Men’s Singles final match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 10, 2017. Nadal raced to a third US Open title and 16th Grand Slam crown on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 rout of South African giant Kevin Anderson. AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD

NEW YORK — Rafael Nadal reflected on his roots as a child prodigy from the island of Mallorca and on the influence of his uncle Toni on Sunday after winning the US Open title.

The 31-year-old Spaniard defeated South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 for his third US Open title and his 16th career Grand Slam crown after having taken a 10th French Open trophy in June at Roland Garros.

READ: Nadal wins US Open for 16th major title

The triumph moved Nadal three shy of Roger Federer’s all-time record of 19 Slam singles titles.

The US Open was the final Slam at which Toni, Nadal’s long-time coach and inspiration, will join him, instead of taking a role directing Nadal’s youth academy.

In his victory speech, Nadal reflected on what Toni has meant to his life in building the grit to overcome numerous knee injuries.

“It’s not one lesson. Diary is in the head from 3 years old,” Nadal said.

“Probably without him I’ll never be playing tennis. I’m thankful I had somebody like him pushing me all the time.

“Because he gave me motivation I could get through all the problems I had in my career. I can only thank him for making me stronger.”

When Nadal reclaimed the world number one ranking last month, it was the first since in more than three years he had topped the list.

And when Federer lost in the US Open quarter-finals to Juan Martin del Potro, Nadal was ensured of keeping the top spot.

It has been a long journey for Nadal to his latest Grand Slam glory.

Nadal won an under-12 regional crown at age eight and by 12 had captured Spanish and European age-group junior titles.

By 15, he had turned professional and was facing such foes on the global circuit as Anderson.

At 17, Nadal won his first match against Federer.

At 19, he won the 2005 French Open in his debut, the first of nine Grand Slam titles in 10 years he would claim on the red clay of Roland Garros, cementing a legacy as the greatest player ever seen on the surface.

It was early in his career when Nadal began his habit of biting the championship trophies he wins.

Nadal added Wimbledon crowns in 2008 and 2010, an Australian Open title in 2009 and completed the career Grand Slam in 2010 by defeating Novak Djokovic in the US Open final, becoming the youngest in the Open era (since 1967) to complete the four-event career sweep.

And only Nadal and Andre Agassi can say they have a career Grand Slam and an Olympic men’s singles gold medal, Nadal having claimed his in 2008 at Beijing.

Nadal, the sixth left-hander to win a US Open title, added another crown at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2013, again downing Djokovic in the final.

Knee injuries took a toll throughout his career, costing him nine Slam appearances, and after he failed to even reach a Slam semi-final in 2015 and 2016 some figured his greatest moments were behind him.

But Nadal roared into the Australian Open final, losing to Federer, then captured his record 10th French Open crown in June, setting the stage for his title run in the Flushing Meadows fortnight.

Only Nadal, Pete Sampras and Ken Rosewall have managed the feat of winning Grand Slam titles in their teens, 20s and 30s.