VIDEO: Emotional Rafael Nadal Tears up After Capturing 2019 US Open

The legend of Rafael Nadal continued on Sunday, as he defeated tennis heel Daniil Medvedev in five sets to capture the 2019 US Open. It took nearly five hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Nadal got the job done, scoring 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, and 6-4 to earn his 19th Grand Slam title, narrowly holding off the comeback. Fans applauded the Spaniard's epic performance with chants of "Rafa!" Overcome with emotion, Nadal acknowledged the crowd by waving with tears in his eyes.

Even with so much success, Nadal is not numb to the trials and tribulations that come with winning a tennis championship. Nadal had plenty of competition from the 23-year-old Medvedev, nearly 10 years younger than he. There's always a finite number of these runs left, as timeless as Rafa's talent may seem.

Rafael Nadal is now one Grand Slam title and one U.S. Open win away from tying the great Roger Federer. It's only fitting that Nadal is inching that much closer to his rival, as the pair have etched their names as the greatest tennis players of this generation.