Rafael Nadal wins 2017 US Open men’s title

Rafael Nadal has won his third US Open singles title, besting Kevin Anderson in the final on Sunday, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. In addition to his third US Open title, it’s his second Major win of the year, and his 16th Grand Slam title overall.

It was a very straightforward win for Nadal, who looked in fine form throughout the tournament. He had little trouble converting on his break point attempts and, most importantly, he hit far fewer unforced errors than Anderson. Anderson had 35 unforced errors before Nadal even had 10.

Anderson, playing in his first Grand Slam final, made it there with some excellent play and also maybe a bit of luck. He was in the bottom half of the bracket, which was supposed to include Andy Murray. But Murray pulled out of the tournament just before it started.

Other big names like Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, and Milos Raonic missed the Major with injuries, while big names like Grigor Dimitrov and Dominic Thiem were eliminated in the early rounds. Most thought Roger Federer would win it, but he fell to Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals.

Nadal made it past del Potro to punch his ticket into the final, and few gave Anderson a chance to win. Nadal and Anderson had met four times before, and Nadal had never dropped a set in their history together.

The women’s singles title was decided on Saturday when Sloane Stephens, an unseeded American, made it past Madison Keys, the 15th-seeded American, in straight sets. Stephens also bested Venus Williams in the semifinals, and will enjoy a nice boost in ranking to end this tennis season.