Nadal

The US Open draw opens up even further for Nick Kyrgios, as Frances Tiafoe scores an emotional win over second-seed Rafael Nadal for the biggest victory of ...

The 24-year-old American cried on the court after he shook hands with Nadal. "When I went up 5-3, my legs were like lead. Tiafoe already was the first American man to reach the fourth round in three straight years since Mardy Fish in 2010-12.

The Hyattsville, Md., native was sharp throughout four sets and became the first player to beat Nadal at a major this year.

She rose from 76th in the world at the end of that year to a career-high seventh this season after teaming up with David Witt, Venus Williams’s former longtime coach, and dedicating more time to the professional side of professional tennis: eating right, preparing thoroughly and taking care of her body. But in the next game, Nadal served two double faults and Tiafoe didn’t let the chance slip through his fingers. Am I ever going to be able to say I beat one of them? Today I was like, no, I’m going to do that,” Tiafoe said. “The biggest thing with things like that is the time I played him before, I got broken so early in each set,” Tiafoe said. Tiafoe’s victory denied Nadal the chance to expand his lead over Novak Djokovic (21) and Federer (20) in Grand Slam wins. His physical improvement has led to a He was the first man to beat Nadal at a major this year, with the Spaniard having won the Australian Open and the French Open. He had been practicing with a high level of intensity ahead of the tournament but couldn’t serve with the same ferocity because scar tissue on his abdomen limited his movement. When he clinched it by forcing a backhand error from Nadal, he chucked his racket toward his chair and placed his hands around his head. He is through to his first U.S. But Monday, with a smart, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Rafael Nadal, he displayed a tactician’s discipline in ousting the 22-time Grand Slam champion.