The atmosphere was electric.  Just the fact that it was the world No. 1 versus the world No. 2 vying for the 2013 US Open title would have been enough to have fans on the edge of their seats with anticipation, but this match was something more than that.  It was Novak Djokovic against Rafael Nadal, one of the most compelling and divisive rivalries in the sport.  It was a match that was about more than just winning one more major title.  This was to determine the true player of the year.  In short, this one was for all the marbles.

Anything shy of claiming his second US Open crown was going to be a huge disappointment for Nadal.  That is a statement that sounds rather absurd when looking at Nadal’s year.  His return to tennis since missing the second half of last season has been nothing short of phenomenal.  Outside of a shocking opening-round loss at Wimbledon, he had reached the final of every tournament that he has entered in 2013 and won nine of them.  Those nine titles include the Masters 1000 tournaments at Indian Wells, Montreal, and Cincinnati (he did not play Miami), making him the most dominant player on the hard courts this year.  As impressive as that string was, however, there was a real sense that it would all be for naught if he failed to win the big one in New York.

For Djokovic, this US Open final was a chance at redemption and rejuvenation.  There was no question that he needed this match more than Nadal did.  While many players would give their left arm for the kind of results Djokovic has posted this season, by his standards, 2013 has been full of disappointments.  For, as many times as he has put himself in a position to win a title, he has only won three this season.  Granted, two of them were prestigious titles at the Australian Open and Monte-Carlo, but that figure is nowhere near what he is capable of winning.  All of those disappointments would be erased, however, with a second US Open major title under his belt.

Djokovic also needed a win in the Big Apple in order to shift his rivalry with Nadal back in his favor.  He had clearly gotten in the Spaniard’s head in 2011, but since that time, Nadal has slowly turned the tables on the Serb.  Although Djokovic had gotten the better of him at Monte-Carlo this year, Nadal was the one who came out on top in their epic Roland Garros semifinal encounter and again on the hard courts in Montreal.  Nadal was also playing some of the best hard-court tennis of his career, while Djokovic was not quite playing his brand of top-flight tennis.  The momentum was decidedly with Nadal heading into this US Open final, and it was going to take something special from Djokovic to flip the script. 

In the early goings of the first set, things did not look promising for the world No. 1.  He was broken in his second service game, and things quickly unraveled from there.  He began to press and sprayed 14 unforced errors against just six winners.  By contrast, Nadal played nearly flawless tennis.  He hit one more winner than Djokovic did and just a stingy four unforced errors.  The disparity in their respective levels of play made for a lopsided set, which was won comfortably by Nadal 6-2. 

The ease with which Nadal secured the first set was surprising to say the least, and thankfully for the fans (those rooting for Nadal being the exception), set two was not the same one-sided affair.  Djokovic began to raise his own level and create some tension, which crept into Nadal’s own game sporadically.  The match really got the crowd going when Djokovic cashed in on a break point after an amazing 54-shot rally to strike first in the second set.  Unfortunately for him, that swing of momentum was as short-lived as possible.  He played a dismal horrible game to get broken at love, and once again Nadal was on even footing. 

But it would seem momentum was equally unkind to Nadal.  In a game that looked like it might be an easy hold for him, Djokovic found a way to steal a break.  He followed that up with a nervy hold, and on the strength of his 15 winners to just seven for Nadal, he found a way to level the match at one set apiece. 

Like so many great champions do, Djokovic found a way to ride the wave of good fortune into the third set.  He broke Nadal for a third consecutive time to break in the opening game and fought out a tough hold to consolidate the break for 2-0.  It was a tight tussle in the third game, but Nadal proved admirably able to fend off break points to keep it close and gain a foothold in the set.  If Djokovic was dismayed at failing to earn an insurance break, it did not show.  He held easily to extend his lead to 3-1 and put the pressure right back on Nadal’s shoulders. 

The Spaniard showed himself not only up to the task, but he went on to grab a break and level the set at 3-3.  Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Nadal was now the one out in front.  After both men held serve comfortably, Nadal pulled a rabbit out of a hat in the most important game of the match.  He somehow dug out a hold from 0-40 down to keep the pressure on the Serb, who would have served for the third set if he had converted one of those three break points.  Ater Djokovic smacked two clean winners to go up 30-0 in the next game, moreover, Nadal rattled off four straight points to take the third set in stunning fashion.

The fourth set was decided in the first game.  Djokovic held two break points to gain the momentum back and erase some of the demons from the way that the previous set ended.  Sadly for Djokovic, it only ended with more disappointment.  Both breakpoints would go by the wayside, and shortly thereafter, it was Nadal leading 3-0.  Djokovic attempted briefly to get back in the set, but his game was too erratic against Nadal, who was exemplary in his solid baseline play from beginning to end.

It was hard not to feel for Djokovic as he suffers yet another loss after being so close yet so far from greatness.  There is not really a need to go back to the drawing board.  The tools are there, as evidenced by his reaching three out of the four major finals this year.  What this match showed with glaring clarity, however, was that the consistency is gone.  He was the one controlling the bulk of the match tonight, and had he not committed so many unforced errors, might well have come out the winner.  With this in mind, perhaps what would be best for Djokovic at this juncture is a brief break away from the game to mentally regroup.  There is still work to do this season.  Nothing will make up for losing this title, but there is still time to set himself up with a solid foundation going into 2014.  A strong fall with perhaps a title defense at the ATP World Tour Finals would be just what the doctor ordered.

As for Nadal, there are not enough accolades to describe what he has done not just on the hard courts, but throughout this entire season.  It seems that taking seven months off to not just rest and rehab the knee, but to also hit the mental refresh button by being able to take the time to fish, golf and hang with friends has done him a world of good in all aspects of his game.  He looks poised to enjoy one of the best autumn seasons of his career and might just be ready to earn his first ATP World Tour Finals title at the end of the year.  The rankings may not say so just yet, but he is the best player of the year in 2013.  He is only going to build on that through the remainder of the year, and no question, he is going to be the man to beat come 2014.