• ATP Tour

Nadal hails 'best ever' season

ESPN staff
September 16, 2010
Rafael Nadal was at the Santiago Bernebeu on Wednesday to see his beloved Real Madrid beat Ajax in the Champions League © Getty Images
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Rafael Nadal has hailed his 'best ever' season after his US Open victory guaranteed he would finish the year as world No. 1.

Nadal's win over Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows sealed a career Grand Slam, and enough ranking points to move nearly 5000 points clear of his rivals to secure his place as year-end No. 1 for the second time in three years.

Nadal is only the second man since 2000 to secure the year-end rankings in the week after the US Open - Roger Federer achieved the feat after dominant seasons in both 2004 and 2006, and the pair are the only two players to have qualified for the year-end championships in London in November.

Nadal has never won the World Tour Finals, previously known as the Masters Cup, and victory at the O2 Arena at the end of November would cap off a dominant year for the nine-time grand slam champion.

"It has been an incredible season - one of my best ever, if not the best," Nadal said. "Winning the US Open together with Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as the three back-to-back Masters 1000s in Europe, was not easy. I worked very hard to get back to the top and it feels really good to know I will end the year as No. 1."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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