Nadal wins again!

What a year this has been for Rafael Nadal. On Sunday, he defeated John Isner 7-6 7-6 to win the Cincinnati Masters. Congrats, Rafa!

photo from https://www.facebook.com/ATPWorldTour

This is the first time Rafa won this title, and it also means that he has now gotten to the finals of all nine Masters 1000 events at least once. Just how great has this year been for Nadal? Here are the numbers:

• 1st time to win the Cincinnati Masters
• #2 ranking on Monday as Rafa moves past Andy Murray who will drop to #3
• 3 hard court Masters 1000 titles this year.
• 4th player in history to win the Canada-Cincinnati Double (Andy Roddick last did this feat in 2003)
• 4 consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments this year
• 5 Masters 1000 titles in 2013, tying the record set by Novak Djokovic in 2011
• 26 Master 1000 titles in his career, the most of any player in history.

While no one else has more success on hard courts this year than Nadal, he isn't a lock to win the US Open which starts next week. Djokovic is still the #1 players in the world and is always a threat while Andy Murray is the defending champion. Roger Federer, who drops to #7 his week (his lowest ranking in more than a decade), gave Rafa a tough match in Cincinnati, as did Berdych and Isner. Del Potro is also doing well. Hopefully, Nadal's solid wins on hard court this season give him enough confidence to do well in, or even win, the last major event of the year.