Tiafoe strikes down Nadal at the US Open

Frances Tiafoe eliminated Rafael Nadal in the round of 16 of the US Open on Monday by winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in 3h33m.

The 24-year-old American raised a very tough match from the beginning and deprived the Spaniard of the possibility of winning his fifth trophy in New York, which would have meant his 23rd major.

The defeat leaves Carlos Alcaraz as the only Spanish representative.

The 19-year-old from Murcia will face Marin Cilic this morning.

It has not been an easy US Open for Nadal, with obstacles from day one.

The Australian Rinky Hijikata forced him to come back in the premiere and in the second season he had to overcome an even more difficult hurdle against Fabio Fognini, after a really difficult night.

Then he had a truce against Richard Gasquet, always docile, but this time he collided with a rival who announced that he was going "for him" and who complied to the letter.

Nadal, 36, had not lost on the fourth scale of a big stage since he fell to Gilles Müller in 2017, in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.

The American, number 26 in the world, separated him from the tournament and will face the Russian Andrei Rublev.

Now, the fight for number one is in the hands of Alcaraz and Casper Ruud.

One of them would get it if they manage to win the title or, in the case of the Spaniard, if he loses in the final against someone other than the Norwegian;

the same scenario, but in reverse, arises for the Nordic.

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