Rafael Nadal struggled to acclimate to New York in his early United States Opens. In his first five appearances, he did not reach even a semifinal; within that span, he had won at least one title at the three other Grand Slam events.

Things have changed dramatically in recent years, however: The courts have slowed, his knees have largely held up, and the U.S. Open has become Nadal’s land of opportunity.

“I think at the beginning of my career have been some tough moments here, losing matches,” Nadal said Friday. “But since a long time ago, every time that I came here I felt comfortable, no? I felt very competitive and fighting for the big things.”

Very big things await Nadal with one more win at the Open this year. With a victory in Sunday’s final against Daniil Medvedev, Nadal would finish with four U.S. Open titles this decade, passing Novak Djokovic’s three. Roger Federer, who dominated last decade with five consecutive U.S. Open titles between 2004 and 2008, has been surprisingly stymied this decade, winning zero titles and reaching just one final, in 2015.