Moments after one of the great grand slam finals of his career, Rafael Nadal sat exhausted in his seat as endorphins and adrenaline coursed through his body. Overhead on the big screen of Arthur Ashe Stadium, footage of all 19 of his triumphs played out one by one. The Spaniard stared upwards and thought of all the obstacles and injuries he had overcome, and then he wept.

Nadal’s fourth US Open title marks another crowning achievement to an incredible year. He is now 27-1 in his last five events, with titles in Rome, Roland Garros, Montreal and New York, and is now the frontrunner to finish the year as world No 1.

Roger Federer stands only one grand slam away, yet whenever asked about the possibility of catching his great rival, Nadal issues the same mantra. “As I always say to you, and is true: I would love to be the one to have more [grand slams than Federer], yes, but you cannot be all day frustrated or all day thinking about what your neighbour has better than you. You have to be happy with yourself.”

It is easy to forget how arduous Nadal’s path has been in recent years. He spent much of his 2018 season battling a constant stream of different injuries. He withdrew or retired from 11 of the 12 hardcourt events he played and, after ankle surgery at the end of the year, was forced out of the spring US hardcourt events Indian Wells and Miami with a hip injury. When he returned on his beloved clay in April, the constant blows had finally taken their toll. He said that incessantly worrying about his body had sapped his confidence dry.

Nadal went to Monte Carlo, a tournament he had won a record 11 times, and was humiliated in the semi-finals by Fabio Fognini. The next week, at his home tournament in Barcelona where the public worship him and the stadium court bears his name, he found that he could not play. The 33 year-old’s anxiety was so crippling he retreated to his hotel room alone and considered if he should stop playing tennis for a while in order to refresh his mind. He decided to play on, and slowly the shackles fell away as he found his form again.

This summer has marked Nadal’s first stretch of total good health in years. He is not as fast as he was at 20 years old, but he has adapted and improved. He flattens out his forehand more, he takes the ball earlier and his matches are far more efficient. Over the past few years, his backhand has become a potent weapon in itself and his serve has improved immeasurably. Despite not playing to the best of his ability on Sunday night, Nadal kept his opponent, Daniil Medvedev, constantly guessing. He mixed heavy, whippy spin with skidding low slices and the occasional loopy ball. He came into the net, using his serve and volley 20 times and with 66 total net approaches.

As Medvedev bore down on Nadal by recovering from two sets down and generating double break point at 1-0 in the fifth, the 33 year-old reacted by storming to the net behind his serve and executing a great half volley winner. His subsequent hold would prove the turning point in the match. The most remarkable thing about the enduring greatness of Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic has been their ability to improve and adapt at a faster rate than those who are 10 years younger.

Nadal’s victory means that he and his three greatest rivals have won 54 of the last 59 grand slams. Though Medvedev pushed him harder than any of the youngsters, once again one of the legends was left at the end of the tournament to secure another victory. Nadal’s tears were a reminder that it was a moment to cherish, because it will not last for ever.

“We have been here for 15 years almost,” said Nadal. “At some point, these days, going to happen sooner than later that this era going to end. Is arriving to the end. I am 33. Novak is 32. Roger is 38. Andy is 32, too. The clock is not stopping. That’s part of the cycle of life.”