Rafael Nadal once paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York on the ninth anniversary of the tragic incident. The Spaniard conveyed his heartfelt sentiments after reaching his maiden US Open final.
Nadal entered the 2010 edition of the New York Major as the top seed, aiming to complete the rare achievement of a career Golden Slam. The Spaniard delivered an impressive campaign at the Flushing Meadows, beating the likes of Gilles Simon, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco to reach the semifinals.
The top seed then claimed a dominant 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over Mikhail Youzhny to advance to the final of the US Open for the first time in his career. The match took place on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, which took the lives of approximately 3,000 people.
Acknowledging the somber occasion, Rafael Nadal offered his “support for the victims of 9-11 and their families” in his on-court interview. He elaborated on his sentiments in his post-match press conference, highlighting that the horrific events of 9/11 had left an indelible mark on every person across the globe.
The Spaniard shed light on the “terrible” shock he experienced personally, especially since he had visited the Twin Towers just a few months before the attacks.
“Well, I think first thing, 9/11 was a big shock for everybody in the world. I remember — everybody remember where they were at that moment, and I remember what happened that day and where I was. Yeah, was terrible shock for me, especially because I was in the top of the twin towers few months before,” he said.
Nadal also honored the memory of the victims and paid tribute to their families, while emphasizing the profound impact the “disaster” had on him.
“So, yeah, that’s just the minimum thing that I can say, all the support for the victims and for the families for sure is always in my mind. When I came back after the disaster, in the first six years I always was there at Ground Zero every time watching that. So, yep, that’s probably the most impact view that I had in all my life,” he added.
Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic to win maiden US Open title in 2010
Following his win over Mikhail Youzhny, Rafael Nadal set up a highly anticipated title clash against third seed Novak Djokovic at the 2010 US Open. The Serb claimed a hard-fought 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win over second seed Roger Federer to book his place in the blockbuster final.
Nadal made a strong start in the title clash, clinching the opening set 6-4. Although Djokovic battled back to secure the second set, the Spaniard delivered a clinical performance to claim a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory and clinch his maiden title at the New York Major.
With his win, Rafael Nadal became only the third player in history, after Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, to complete the career Golden Slam — winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold at least once. Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic have also joined the elite ranks since then.
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