Rafael Nadal admitted he feared he had blown his chance of a 19th grand slam title when Daniil Medvedev mounted his astonishing comeback in their epic US Open final.
The Spanish second seed led by two sets and a break, but Russian fifth seed Medvedev somehow hit back to level the match and had break points at the start of the decider.
But Nadal dug as deep as he has probably ever had to to secure a dramatic 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4 victory in four hours and 50 minutes to move to within one major title of Roger Federer’s record tally of 20.
“Did I think I might lose? Of course, when you have break point against in the beginning of the fifth, losing the last two sets, you are in trouble,” he said.
“But I really try to avoid this thought. I always believe that I going to keep having chances. That’s the way that I approach.
“It’s different in his position after two sets to love and break for me, it’s human that he had that feeling. But I always was in front of the score until the end. Is difficult for me to think I am going to lose.
“Of course, I was in trouble. But I played a not very good game at the 3-2 of that third set.
“At that moment things looked under control, but then Daniil increased a lot and changed a lot of things.”