US Open: 5 best men's singles matches in the last 10 years

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat 2009 champion Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in the 2018 final at Flushing Meadows to win his third US Open title.

Following defeats to Roger Federer (2007) and Rafael Nadal (2010) in his first two finals, Djokovic won his first US Open title by beating Nadal in a four-set final in 2011.

The Serb lost successive US Open title matches in the following two years against Andy Murray (2012) and Nadal (2013) respectively before clinching his second title at Flushing Meadows with a four-set win over Federer in the 2015 final.

Djokovic, along with Ivan Lendl, is one of only two players to have contested a record eight title matches at the last Grand Slam of the year, with Lendl playing all of his 8 US Open title matches in consecutive years (1982-1989). Djokovic and Lendl have also emerged second best in a record five US Open finals.

Since the Open Era, 27 players from 13 different nations have triumphed at the US Open. The trio of Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Federer (5 titles apiece) leads a group of ten players who have won the tournament more than once.

Federer is the only player to win 5 consecutive US Open titles (2004-08), while Lendl (1985-87) and McEnroe (1979-81) have completed three-peats.

Connors is the only player to win the US Open on all three surfaces (1974-grass; 1976-clay; 1978, 1982-83 on hardcourt) and leads the tournament with most match wins (98) followed by Federer (85).

The final Grand Slam of the year has had a fair share of memorable matches, nay battles, over the years. Here's a pick of the 5 best matches at the US Open in the last 10 years.

#5 2014 Quarterfinal: Federer beats Monfils 4-6 3-6 6-4 7-5 6-2

Federer beats Monfils in the 2014 US Open quarterfinals

Five-time champion Roger Federer was under the gun against Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals of the 2014 US Open Championships.

On a swirling windy evening under the lights at Flushing Meadows, the Swiss struggled with uncharacteristic unforced errors as he fell two sets behind to the Frenchman.

Federer improved as the wind eased up, launching his comeback by taking the third set.

After trading early breaks in the fourth, the Swiss stared down two match points on his serve at 4-5 15-40, with Monfils on the cusp of a monumental upset.

The Frenchman though saw both chances evaporate courtesy a backhand that sailed long and a sublime Federer forehand winner. A distraught Monfils coughed up successive double faults in the next game to drop serve as Federer took the fourth set to force a decider.

The Swiss rolled through the fifth set, dropping only two games to seal a berth in a ninth US Open semifinal.

It was only the second time in his career that Federer had saved match points to win a Grand Slam encounter (2000 US Open first round against Peter Wessels).

#4 2011 Semifinal: Djokovic beats Federer 6-7(7) 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5

Djokovic was Federer's nemesis in a second consecutive US Open semifinal

Facing the prospect of ending a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time in nine years, Roger Federer took on Novak Djokovic in a fourth consecutive US Open semi-final.

Determined to avoid back-to-back semi-final defeats against the same opponent at the last Major of the year, Federer took a two-set lead only for Djokovic to storm back into contention by taking the next two sets, forcing a fifth.

In the decider, Federer broke the Serbian to serve for the match. At 5-3 40-15 Federer arrived at two match points only for the Swiss to blink at the most inopportune moment, allowing Djokovic to break back.

Djokovic reeled off the final four games of the match to inflict a second consecutive US Open semifinal defeat on the Swiss, and thwart the possibility of a first-ever Federer-Nadal final at Flushing Meadows.

It was only the second loss for Federer in 182 matches at a Grand Slam after taking a two-set lead.

#3 2015 3rd round: Fognini beats Nadal 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4

Fognini beats Nadal at 2015 US Open

It looked like another regulation outing for Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam when the Spaniard rolled to a two-set lead in his third-round match against Fabio Fognini at the 2015 US Open.

But the match turned out to be anything but a regulation clash as the Italian, from a break down in the third, won five of the next six games to take the set.

It was still advantage Nadal as he had a two sets to one lead but Fognini fired more winners than unforced errors to clinch the fourth set and force a decider.

In an incredible fifth set, Fognini broke the Nadal serve thrice only for the Spaniard to break back each time. However, a fourth break of serve in the set proved insurmountable as the mercurial Italian served out the set 6-4 to enter his first US Open fourth round.

It was the first time in 152 matches at a Grand Slam that Nadal had lost after taking the first two sets.

The defeat also ended Nadal's record of winning a Grand Slam in ten consecutive years.

#2 2018 Quarterfinal: Nadal beats Thiem 0-6 6-4 7-5 6-7(4) 7-6(5)

Nadal embraces Thiem after an epic quarterfinal battle

In one of the best hardcourt matches of his career, Dominic Thiem burst out the blocks by bagelling Rafael Nadal to take the opening set in 24 minutes. It was Nadal's first 0-6 set at the US Open in 14 years since a second-round defeat to Andy Roddick in 2004.

But as the match progressed, Thiem's intensity dropped and Nadal responded with two breaks of the Austrian's serve, squaring the match at a set-apiece.

Nadal took the third set 7-5 and was a tiebreak away from taking the match but Thiem dug deep to force a decider.

The Austrian saved three successive breakpoints at 5-5 in the fifth as a deciding set tiebreaker ensued. Both players remained solid on serve and at 5-5 in the tiebreak, both players were two points away from victory.

It was Nadal who arrived at match-point first and converted the opportunity when Thiem fired an overhead long to end a gladiatorial 4-hour 49-minute battle. The defending champion lived to fight another day on a night when his opponent won six more points than him.

#1 2009 Final: Del Potro beats Federer 3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2

Federer loses to Del Potro in the 2009 US Open final

Roger Federer, the five-time defending champion on a record 40-match win streak at the tournament, arrived at a sixth consecutive US Open final where he faced 20-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro.

Playing in his 4th Major final of the year, the 15-time Grand Slam champion was faster off the blocks as he took the opening set 6-3. Serving for a two-set lead at 5-4, Federer arrived at 30-0. A contentious video referral at 30-30 robbed the Swiss of a set point as Del Potro fired consecutive forehand winners to break back and take the set in a tiebreak.

For the first time in the match, the serene Federer appeared ruffled by the young Argentinian's onslaught but the Swiss refocussed on the task at hand. Federer won three games in a row from 3-4 down as Del Potro leaked successive double faults to concede a two sets to one lead.

At 5-4 30-30 on the Argentinian's serve, Federer was two points away from an Open Era record sixth title but Del Potro slammed the door shut and won the ensuing tiebreak to force a decider.

Federer ran out of steam in the fifth as Del Potro fired blistering forehand winners, breaking the Swiss twice to win the biggest match of his career and land a maiden Grand Slam title.

In the process, Del Potro became the second player and second Argentinian to beat Federer at the US Open in seven years since David Nalbandian bested the Swiss in the fourth round in 2003.