With the current suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours, we are opening up our US Open vault to bring you full match videos of classic encounters through the years in New York.
Watch on YouTube: Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic, 2010 US Open men's singles final
In the first of three US Open finals between the pair, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic met for the first time in New York in the 2010 men's singles final. Currently the top two players in the world, Nadal was seeded No. 1 in 2010, with Djokovic seeded third, having got past No. 2 Roger Federer in a five-set semifinal.
Nadal entered the 2010 Open on the heels of back-to-back titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, but he had yet to find glory in New York. In fact, Nadal had never contested a Flushing final until this 2010 matchup, with a pair of semifinal runs in '08 and '09 his best performances to that point in the year's final Slam.
Djokovic's lone Grand Slam title at the time came at the 2008 Australian Open, though he had previously reached the 2007 final in New York for what was his first career major final.
Seeking the career Grand Slam at the age of 24, Nadal put on an inspired performance to etch his name in the history books—not for the first time, nor the last.
In a final rematch one year later, Djokovic made his breakthrough at the US Open by defeating Nadal to win the 2011 title. Nadal won the third installment of their final trilogy in 2013.
The two legends currently count seven US Open titles between them (four for defending champ Nadal, three for Djokovic).
The complete final is now available to watch on the US Open YouTube channel. For a coming attraction, view the match highlights below.
