U.S. Open: Nadal headlines Day 1

As Rafael Nadal racked up 14 Grand Slam titles in his mid 20s, it appeared it wasn't a query of if however while the Spaniard would threaten Roger Federer's file 17 titles. Genuinely he'd be there by his thirtieth birthday.

As an alternative, at 29, Rafa comes inside the very last primary of this yr simply hoping to show he is nevertheless relevant. He has but to reach a Grand Slam semifinal this yr, a tumultuous season wherein he battled knee and wrist accidents and noticed his ranking drop to No. 10, it is lowest point in a decade. He has misplaced greater fits this yr (14) than he did in all of 2014 (eleven), or in 2012 and 2013 blended (thirteen).

And but, he has pinnacle billing on Day 1. While 2014 champion Marin Cilic starts his title protection on Louis Armstrong, Nadal will play the second one night match on Arthur Ashe. That is the first time the protecting champ isn't always playing his first-round match on Ashe when you consider that 2000.

It is a show of recognize for 2-time champion Nadal, and a demonstration that the USTA realizes that despite being seeded 8th, Rafa still puts on a display.

That is one opportunity. Any other is that the USTA knows this will be Rafa's simplest fit of the match. He'll play Borna Coric, a 19-yr-old from Croatia who defeated Rafa in straight sets of their simplest preceding assembly.

"he's one of the players this is the future of our sport, so it is a difficult one," Nadal stated Saturday. "but i am playing well."

playing under the lights at Ashe might be new to Coric. That could give Nadal an facet. But if ever there was a 12 months that Nadal may want to cross down inside the first spherical in the big apple, that is it. And even if he makes a brilliant go back to form and makes it to his first Grand Slam semifinal of the yr, he'd must knock out No. 1 Novak Djokovic to make it to the very last round.

It is more likely that no matter how Nadal's two weeks play out, Djokovic may be the one challenging for the name, his tenth usual and 0.33 of the 12 months. Djokovic is 1/3 up on Ashe, the very last in shape of the day session.