US Open: A retrospective of Novak Djokovic's final heartbreaks at Flushing Meadows

#2 2010: Lost to Nadal 4-6 7-5 4-6 2-6

Nadal beats Djokovic in the 2010 US Open final to complete the career Slam

Djokovic beat Frenchman Monfils in straight sets in the quarterfinals and survived two match points before beating Roger Federer in a five-set semifinal to arrive at his second US Open final.

It was the Serb's best run at a Grand Slam in over three years since a win over Tsonga in the 2008 Australian Open final to win his maiden major title.

In his first title match at the US Open in three years, Djokovic faced first-time US Open finalist Rafael Nadal, who had beaten the young Serb in all of their four previous Grand Slam meetings and all in tournament finals.

Djokovic, who was 7-3 over the Spaniard in hardcourts going into the match, dropped the first set 4-6 to the Spaniard.

Nadal, who arrived in the final following six consecutive straight-set victories, was now one-thirds of his way to emulating Neale Fraser (1960) in winning at Flushing Meadows without dropping a set. But Djokovic was not going away without a fight.

The Serb made a brisk start in the second, breaking Nadal twice to take a 4-1 lead only to squander his double-break advantage. At 4-4 (30-30) on Djokovic's serve, rain intervened and the final was abandoned for the day.

The next day, Djokovic seized back the lost momentum to hold serve and just as a tiebreak loomed, the Serb fired a fizzing return at the feet of Nadal in the twelfth game of the set to make it a set apiece.

Stung by the loss of his first set in the tournament, Nadal responded in inimitable style by riding an early break in the third to take a crucial two sets to one lead. In the fourth, a weary Djokovic conceded two breaks of serve as Nadal closed out a hard-fought 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2 win.

In the process, Nadal emulated Laver, Agassi and Federer as the only men in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams and emulated the Australian by winning the French, Wimbledon and US Open titles in the same calendar year.