Rafael Nadal chases history with US Open win!

Roger Federer can hear Rafael Nadal’s footsteps even louder now.

The Spanish superstar won the US Open today over Novak Djokovic and with 13 grand slam singles titles, he needs to win just four more major titles to tie all-time leader Federer’s 17.

While Federer was once Nadal’s greatest rival, Djokovic clearly is now. They have now played each other 37 times, the most between any two men in the Open era. Nadal has won 22 of their matches. It also was their third head-to-head US Open final in the last four years. Nadal beat Djokovic for the 2010 title, and Djokovic won their rematch in 2011.

Nadal missed half of 2012 with injury and shockingly lost in the first round of Wimbledon. But he has a 22-0 record on hard courts and is 60-3 overall in 2013 with 10 titles, including at the French Open.

At just 27, Nadal is the first man with at least one Grand Slam trophy in nine consecutive seasons. Eight of his major titles have come at the French Open, two each at the US Open and Wimbledon, and one at the Australian Open.