Rafael Nadal will enter this year's U.S. Open with a different sense of urgency. He is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, and it’s unlikely he will recapture the No. 1 position anytime soon.

His return to the game since an untimely knee injury has been highlighted by reluctant movement and cautious shot selection.

However, this is New York, people, and the Rafa's inner rock star is ready to shine.

Over the two weeks in New York City, the mandate for the island-born Spaniard will be a complicated, contorted, and gut-wrenching task: win the only Grand Slam absent from his collection of major glory and place himself alongside the six men who did it before.

Rafa’s road to a title in Flushing Meadows will be tough. Not only will he have to deal with the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, but his rivals have improved and are hungry. The state of his knees and willingness to go all-out is still unknown too.

Roger Federer might be in the best form of his career. And after winning in Montreal and capturing the No. 2 ranking, Andy Murray is not far behind the top-ranked Swiss. Novak Djokovic is rounding into form just in time, and it won’t hurt that Todd Martin is in his corner. Let’s not forget the striking aggression of Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro—can anybody really stop this hard-hitting juggernaut?

With those obstacles on the table, Nadal’s order of attack in New York will have to include a concise and drawn-out game plan. Will his potential victory in NYC be based on his historic physicality, or will his unbreakable will and determination be enough to rule Queens?

 

Key points for Nadal to win the U.S. Open:

1) Leave it all on the court

If the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters taught us anything, it's that the Spaniard was withholding his explosive on-court nature. He was hesitant to run down opponents' drop shots, and the renowned halt-and-start screeching that usually echoed from his sneakers was replaced by a mild-mannered brush on the asphalt.

In my mind, Nadal will have to ditch the conservative nature he's stuck with over the summer hardcourt season. If he wants to win in New York, he will have to have an all-or-nothing attitude. The Spaniard's muscular limbs will have to be in full flight. Each and every stroke must be as potent as ever.

I’m just not sure if Nadal is ready to give it everything he has. His outlook seems promising, and he didn’t seem too rattled by his recent losses to del Potro and Djokovic. Therefore, in theory—if his knees have recuperated—I see no reason why a fifth gear Rafa shouldn’t show up from round one.

2) Get through the opening rounds fast

If Nadal gets tangled in five-set matches early on, the second week will become a torment on his knees and, inevitably, his mind.

This brings me back to my “fifth gear” point. Nadal certainly has what it takes to put the hammer down on opponents at will. He has shown on numerous occasions the ability to walk on court and display his late-for-dinner mentality, which means the guy on the other side of the net is going to get a beatdown.

Rafa will need to trust his game and remember the times when he dominated tennis.

3) Remember who you are

All great champions need to reflect on what they've achieved at some point in their careers. Michael Jordan went through it when he came back from his brief stint in baseball; Wayne Gretzky encountered adversity before he went on his late-career surge; even Tiger Woods needed a good whack with his nine iron after his knee injury.

There is no shame in reminding oneself about the glory days. Rafa’s accomplishments to date have been associated with some of the most exciting and eclectic tennis matches in history.

Perhaps a DVD in his hotel room should be on perpetual display, allowing for a friendly and fierce reminder of his six Grand Slam titles.

My sense is that Nadal is currently happy to be back on tour, and requires a high-level win to recapture his taste for success. He'll need that mindset to combat the demanding assignment of winning in New York.

With the United States Championships less than a week away, the game's most magnified and driven champion will have the daunting task of “proving it all once again.”

You have to hand it to these sports guys, they give us all they have, we take it, and continuously want more. Too much is never enough.

Luckily for the sport's fans, Rafael Nadal wants more too. Even though his ranking has slipped to No. 3, Rafa recently shared a rather encouraging description regarding his new place on tour.

“We will see, no? The No. 3 of the world is normally ready to win tournaments.”

This candid but eloquent remark suggested Nadal’s place in the computer system is but a mere reflection of his abilities. He still believes he can win Major titles, regardless of his ranking.

The Spaniard defied all odds to win his first hardcourt Major in Australia this year. The win Down Under elevated the Spaniard to his current stand of attempting to hold the Grand Slam.

Nadal’s competitive nature and ability to persevere through all the hardships of his career should at the very least put him in contention to capture his career Slam.

“So remains the end of the season, and I expect to be they're trying to be 1, 2, 3, 4, you never know. But I gonna be there and try to fight for the top positions.”

Rafa, that was never in doubt.

Project US Open is upon us.