There's a new king in town.

22-year-old Rafael Nadal put an end to Roger Federer's 237-week run as No. 1 to claim the top spot in tennis.

It's been a three-year goal for the Spaniard, who has a child-like gaiety off the courts, and a focused intensity on the courts.  His all-out athletic style harkens back to the bull fighting days of Spain's yesteryear, transforming the tennis courts to a life-and-death arena where a battle waits to be won.

Coming off a Roland Garros win, a four-hour marathon victory over Federer at Wimbeldon and a freshly minted gold medal from the Olympics, Rafael Nadal is definitely the man of the hour in the 2008 US Open.

The hardcourts in New York, however, have not been kind to Nadal in his career – as he has never advanced past the quarterfinals and lost in the fourth round to buddy David Ferrer in 2008 after suffering from an injury to his left knee.

"I'm not so concerned about the way he hits ball, it's the way he moves and body type he has,'' said Paul Annacone, the men's head coach for Great Britain's Lawn Tennis Association. "He's a big, huge, strong athlete, but there's a lot of muscle mass to carry around. Like Boris Becker, he's big and he's doing all that stopping and starting, pounding side to side.

"The guys that reach that level the most efficiently and easily tend to have the longevity. That's Roger and Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, to an extent. Rafa can play at really high levels. But it takes more out of him to do so. I'd say he is incrementally more vulnerable than someone like a Federer."

Nadal has proved this year he is a threat on all surfaces. Now he needs to prove he has the athletic and mental ability to remain at No. 1.

Photo: (Clive Brunskill/Getty)