King of Clay Rafael Nadal has been killing it on the hard courts of the US Open and you have to see it to believe it.
He booked his berth for the quarterfinal with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Marin Cilic yesterday, but the highlight of the match was something else. It was a particular shot that is being hailed as the ‘shot of the tournament’ by many.
Playing the final set against his Croatian opponent, he went out of the court, hit the ball while executing a slide, somehow got it to land inside Cilic’s side of the court and left everyone heaving for breath.
Woke up to the highlights of a Nadal special. What a performance. What a show. The shot around the net was just 🤯 his knees are finished & yet at 33 he managed to not only get to the ball but also make it in. Only Rafa. 🔥 #USOpen #Nadal #VamosRafa
— Zubeda Ismail (@zubedaismail) September 3, 2019
pic.twitter.com/VeA5OXpnBd
This was followed by the reaction anyone would give after pulling off something as miraculous as that shot.
The video and its GIFs are now doing rounds on the internet and understandably people are going crazy over the fact that a 33-year-old player would still be able to execute a seemingly impossible shot like that one.
Rafa Nadal are you kidding me….#USOpen pic.twitter.com/F6ob6U3jDB
— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) September 3, 2019
This is such a classic Big 3 performance so far.
— Matthew Willis (@MattRacquet) September 3, 2019
Challenger (Cilic): *plays best tennis in years*
Nadal/Federer/Djokovic: Fine, guess I’ll have to shift up to that special gear that no one else in the history of the game possesses. If I must, I guess.
Bow down to Rafael Nadal pic.twitter.com/HVbsQdEKvk
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) September 3, 2019
Sweet mother of god. Nadal on 🔥@Eurosport_RU #USOpen pic.twitter.com/b2ajBlwNJ3
— Matthew Willis (@MattRacquet) September 3, 2019
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Rafa Nadal.
— PR (@SirAlexFutbol) September 3, 2019
Otherwise known as The GOAT. pic.twitter.com/alWLCERa8C
RAFAEL. NADAL. We are not worthy. #USOpen #USOpen2019 🎾 pic.twitter.com/1GWb4vbvbX
— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) September 3, 2019
ARE
— Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) September 3, 2019
YOU
SERIOUS?
💥💥 @RafaelNadal 💥💥
🎥: @Eurosport_ES pic.twitter.com/gLRUwDQ5qD
TIGER FIST PUMP AT THE NADAL MATCH LETS GO pic.twitter.com/yVJWjE6fBU
— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) September 3, 2019
I think Nadal just became a candidate for the Puskas pic.twitter.com/EsKzWbzulR
— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) September 3, 2019
Rinaldi: “Describe that point.”
— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) September 3, 2019
Rafael Nadal: “Well, it’s easy to describe, difficult to make.”
Anyone else embarrass themselves by shouting ‘NO WAY!’ in a quiet Italian restaurant after watching Nadal hit this over the should of a dinner companion?pic.twitter.com/leXEpohmoj
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) September 3, 2019
Just David then.
#USOpen │ Sweet mother of god. Nadal with the shot of the match! 🔥💪 pic.twitter.com/Ts68ZZYdQB
— NOW Tennis (@NOWTennis_) September 3, 2019
Yeah…so that shouldn’t be possible.
— Sporting News Australia (@sportingnewsau) September 3, 2019
Rafa Nadal is in to the #USOpen
quarters.pic.twitter.com/yBQnJAVWqk