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Venue:<\/strong> Flushing Meadows, New York <\/span>Dates:<\/strong> 29 August-11 September<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Coverage: Daily radio commentaries across BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Rafael Nadal has been beaten in a Grand Slam for the first time in 2022, losing to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open fourth round.<\/span><\/p>\n American Tiafoe thrilled the home crowd with a 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3 win over four-time champion Nadal in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The defeat ended the Spaniard’s bid for a record-extending 23rd major singles title.<\/span><\/p>\n Nadal led the fourth set 3-1 before Tiafoe hit back, winning five games in a row to secure his quarter-final spot.<\/span><\/p>\n He will face Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.<\/span><\/p>\n Tiafoe threw his racquet to the floor and covered his face in disbelief as his victory was confirmed by a netted Nadal backhand.<\/span><\/p>\n After thanking the crowd he covered his face with his towel, taking in the atmosphere on a raucous Arthur Ashe stadium.<\/span><\/p>\n Nadal has never looked settled in New York this year but that is not to take anything away from Tiafoe, who played a clever match.<\/span><\/p>\n The defeat means that Marin Cilic, who won the US Open title in 2014, is the only Grand Slam singles winner left in the men’s draw.<\/span><\/p>\n Nadal went into this match with a 22-0 record in Grand Slams this year, having won the Australian Open and French Open titles before withdrawing from Wimbledon after his quarter-final victory with an abdominal injury.<\/span><\/p>\n That injury restricted his build-up to the US Open with Nadal arriving at Flushing Meadows having playing only once since, a defeat by Borna Coric in Cincinnati. <\/span><\/p>\n He has struggled for fluency at times in New York, particularly in his second-round match against Fabio Fognini, and showed similar nerves on serve against Tiafoe.<\/span><\/p>\n Having changed his ball toss to protect the injury that ended his Wimbledon campaign, Nadal looked shorn of speed and confidence on his serve, and was broken by Tiafoe at 3-3 in the opener.<\/span><\/p>\n He managed to put Tiafoe under pressure in response but the American came through to hold serve and then converted his third set point with a nice touch at the net.<\/span><\/p>\n After losing the first set, Nadal disappeared off court with the physiotherapist for eight minutes and appeared to have strapping added to his wrists.<\/span><\/p>\n Although his serve never clicked – he finished with nine double faults to nine aces – he was able to take advantage of one poor Tiafoe service game at 5-4 in the second, and was gifted the set on a Tiafoe double fault.<\/span><\/p>\n The third set mirrored the first, Tiafoe breaking for a 4-3 lead with a fine backhand winner, and the American delighted his home crowd as he closed it out with an ace.<\/span><\/p>\n Nadal appeared reinvigorated in the fourth set, pumping his fists and roaring at the crowd after saving a break point in the first game, and he was gifted an early advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n Tiafoe, distracted by the roof closing because of the threat of rain as he served at 2-1 down, threw in a horrible service game, with Nadal breaking thanks to a huge forehand into the corner of the court.<\/span><\/p>\n Tiafoe has endured some difficult losses in recent weeks, squandering strong positions against Taylor Fritz and Nick Kyrgios, but he showed no signs of nerves against Nadal.<\/span><\/p>\n He broke back immediately, helped by two Nadal double faults, and saved break points in his next service game with some excellent counter-punching, before breaking Nadal twice more to close out the match.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the defeat, Nadal could still move to the top of the men’s rankings after the tournament following defending champion Daniil Medvedev’s loss to Kyrgios.<\/span><\/p>\n Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Norway’s Casper Ruud would need to reach the final at least to have a chance to become the world number one.<\/span><\/p>\n |