The crowd present at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York witnessed a masterclass performance from Rafael Nadal on Sunday, as he powered his way to his third US Open title, the 16th Grand Slam of his illustrious career.It took the Spanish ace just two hours and 28 minutes to outlast his rival, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who was playing his first Grand Slam final since turning pro.The triumph at Flushing Meadows takes Nadal closer to Roger Federer, who leads with 19 Grand Slams to his name 'till date.An astronomical resurgence of the 31-year-old saw him secure top honours at the US Open, as well as the French Open this term, a record 10th time overall, alongside featuring in the final of the Australian Open in January.Titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Barcelona Open, and Madrid Open this campaign further reaffirmed his brilliance on the tennis court.Visibly ecstatic after his latest win, Nadal revealed the victory has been very emotional for him after struggling with form and fitness over the past two seasons.Later, while going for dinner at the aftermath of the contest, the Spaniard took to social media to acknowledge the support of the fans.He posted a video message on Twitter, thanking them and saying: “Hello guys, I’m on my way to go for dinner to celebrate. Just want to say, ‘Thank You’ very, very much for your support.

“Have been an amazing day for me, very emotional, very happy to have the trophy of the US Open with me. So just, it’s difficult to describe the feeling.

“Thank You very much everybody for following and keep in touch. Okay, see you soon!”

It has since gone viral, with the Nadal faithful pouring in praise for his dominating display on the day, while others reminisced about the glory days of the past as well.

Only time will tell, if Nadal can keep up the impressive showing in the upcoming months as he aims to outshine Federer, just three Grand Slams ahead.