Rafael Nadal vs. Kevin Anderson: Highlights, Comments, Stats and Prize Money

Rafael Nadal cruised to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Kevin Anderson at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, Sunday to win the 2017 U.S. Open, his 16th career Grand Slam title.

It was the second major win of the year for the Spanish star, and he made it look easy by losing only three sets in the entire tournament. Considering he began the season as the No. 9 player in the world, this has been quite a turnaround.

"Very special two weeks for me," he said after the final, per Gaspar Ribeiro Lanca of Raquetc.com. It's unbelievable what happened this year after couple years with some problems and injuries."

Nadal appeared finished after going two seasons without a Grand Slam title while missing significant time with injuries, but he is now as dominant as ever as the No. 1 player in the world rankings.

Although Anderson did everything he could in the final, Nadal was simply everywhere on the court.

He was especially dangerous at the net with these points helping him in the first two sets:

The 31-year-old finished a perfect 16-of-16 on net points in the win.

He was then able to serve for the win without facing break point all match, closing things out with this point:

His 30 winners with just 11 unforced errors helped give him his third career U.S. Open victory.

This continues an excellent career for Nadal, who adds to his net worth with the win. In addition to the pride of winning the prestigious event, the purse is also the largest in the history of the sport. Per Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, the men's and women's winners each had the same payout of $3.7 million.

"If that doesn't make you want to play tennis, I don't know what will," Sloane Stephens said of the prize money Saturday after her win in the women's draw, via ESPN.

Nadal has certainly enjoyed plenty of winnings in his long career, but this latest check is a big one.

Darren Rovell of ESPN broke down where he now ranks among the other top players of his generation:

Anderson will make $1.83 million as the runner-up.

"This isn't the result I wanted but I'll keep fighting & I'll be back," the South African said after his first career final, per the U.S. Open Twitter account.

He also called Nadal "one of the greatest ambassadors in our sport," per ATP World Tour.

While this was the last major of the season, there are still several big events remaining in 2017, including the Shanghai Masters and Paris Masters leading up to the ATP Finals. Based on Nadal's recent play, he should be able to once again end the year as the No. 1 player in the world.