PHOTO OP: Spanish boys in their own words (not really)

Rafa: "It is true. I was not with colm in the final. But I will fight for the win next time and the next time and the next time...and the next time. It's a beautiful challenge."

Fer: "Uh, yeah. Sure."

Ferru: "My shorts are short. Heh."

 Feli: "Judy. Ju. Dy. Señora Lopez. Ooooh yeah."

[Photo(s) credit: AFP PHOTO / CRISTINA QUICLER]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Serena Williams

My emotions did get the best of me this past weekend when I disagreed with the umpire. It has been a long road to get back to the US Open this year, and I am thankful to have had such a great two weeks in New York. 

- Serena Williams' tweet about her tirade in the US Open final

It's sort of like an apology, right? RIGHT? Whatever. I'd prefer to talk about Bootyrena anyway. She's more entertaining. I mean, all she wants is a pole to ride. Er, that came out wrong.

[Photo(s) credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]

(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: Hop on the media merry-go-round with the Noles

US Open champ Novak Djokovic hopped on the media merry-go-round today, a tradition the day after the winner is crowned. He and Trophy stopped by the Today Show to talk to Matt Lauer and the gang about his phenomenal win and season so far. But that was just the first stop of many, and all the Noles came for the fun. Why? Because six Noles are better than one, I guess.

Dancing Nole at Regis & Kelly!

Pointing Nole at the Early Show!

Famous Nole with Sarah Michelle Gellar!

Thumbs Up Nole with fans at the Empire State Building!

And Romantic Nole smooching Trophy while overlooking New York City. It must be lust.

UPDATE: Here's vid of Dancing Nole in HD at Regis & Kelly.

[Photo(s) credit: AP, Mike Stobe/Getty Images for ATP]

(UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: Serena Williams' post-tennis career is set

Wanna know what Serena Williams does in her off-court time? Well, she loves karaoke. And, she apparently loves to dance. Like, booty dance. And other parts.



UPDATE: Thanks to GOTOTENNIS we'll always have Bootyrena. Always + 4EVR.

UPDATE #2: Serena's lawyers aren't happy with me for posting that screen shot so it's gone. Thanks for the memories Bootyrena. You'll always live on in our heads and some other places (you know who you are).

[Via: WorldStarHipHop]

PHOTO OP: Kissing the cup

Oh, to be a trophy.

Yes. Congratulations, Novak Djokovic, on a whole bunch of things: first US Open title, fourth career major, 10th title of the year, 64-2 record, 3 Slams in a single year, sixth straight win over Rafael Nadal, and beating Roger Federer and Rafa back-to-back. Pretty massive list of accomplishments.

So where does he go from here? From the Serbian horse's mouth at his post-match presser:

There is still a lot of things to prove, you know, to myself, to the tennis world. I still want to win many more events, many more major events. That's something ‑‑ as I said, you know, it's not just habit of standing up every morning and being focused on what you do. It's just that love for the sport that keeps me going. And winning on the court, that feeling, as along as it stays with me, I will keep fighting for more trophies. Yeah, so it would be unbelievable to be able to complete the Grand Slam, to win the French Open. It's something that is definitely an ambition, but it's going to take time.

Sure it's going to take time, but the French Open won't be far off. Before Wimbledon, I would've said winning on the grass was going to be the biggest hurdle and he took that one home. But all that talk is for next year. Right now is where it's at. Major props, Nole. Now go stuff your face with gluten. You've earned it.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: There's absolutely nothing awkward about this picture

Yup. Still stunned.

[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images]

(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: Serena Williams sounds off. Again.

"Double OMG, Eva. I'm totes getting déjà vu!"

You would think Serena Williams would be tired of these controversies at the US Open but sometimes a girl just can't help herself.

Two years and a round later, ReRe got all in an uproar with chair umpire Eva Asderaki after getting penalized a point and going down a break for yelling out during play. She thought she hit a forehand winner and screamed "C'mon! but Sam Stosur got a piece of her racquet on the ball. Eva gave the point to the Aussie under the hindrance rule. ReRe was less than happy. Ok, she was fucking pissed.

In the end, the incident was more of an annoyance and did nothing to shake Sammy's focus. But it was like raw meat to the media sharks who couldn't wait to get right into it:

Q. Regardless of whether you thought it was right or wrong, the decision, do you think it's fair on the official to berate her like that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Excuse me? To berate?

Q. Do you think it's fair on the official?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think everyone is so intense out there. I was really intense, and everyone just wants to do great. I know I did. Um, yeah, just try my best, you know? It's like giving it 100%.

Q. What is your history with that chair umpire, and what episodes might you have had with her in the past?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I just was out there trying to fight against a great player who played really, really well. I don't know.

Q. But between games, you referred to something that happened in the past with her. What were you referring to?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't think off the top of my head, actually.

Q. A match in Doha maybe where you were called for a similar penalty?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I promise you if I knew I would tell you, but I don't know off the top of my head.

Q. According to the ITF, a chair umpire has latitude in assessing a point or in replaying the point if the action was not deliberate. Did you deliberately hinder your opponent?

SERENA WILLIAMS: (Laughter.) No. I mean, I didn't, but I can't even -- you know, I think my opponent played really well. I actually thought it was a winner, but she did really good to even put her like racquet on it. I thought it was a clear winner. I thought it was the hat drop rule, where if you drop a hat you kind of replay the point. I don't know. I think for the most part it was just -- I don't know, I tried my best. As always, I gave my 100%.

Q. Do you regret at all what you said to the chair umpire?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I just am really excited to be here really and to have gotten so far. To get here has been a really great experience for me. I regret losing, but I think there was nothing I could do today. I think Sam played really, really well.

Q. Why would you not regret saying things like...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't even remember what I said. It was just so intense out there. It's the final for me, and I was just -- I have to go -- I guess I'll see it on YouTube. I don't know (Laughter.) I don't know. I was just in the zone. I think everyone, when they play, they kind of zone out kinda thing. I don't know, I'll see it later, I'm sure.

Q. Was there a part of you that said, I can't believe this is sort of happening again, this scene?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. That is definitely different moments. So, no, not at all.

Q. You're one of our greatest champions and an elite athlete, a real role model. Do you think it's important for top level athletes, even in tremendous heat of the moment, to treat refs and officials with respect?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, I don't know. I think that, you know, when you're an athlete, whether you're looking at a basketball player or football player or tennis players, these athletes, we train all our lives since I was three -- and I lie about my age a lot, but I'm 29. (Smiling). You know, we live for these moments, you know. Everyone lives to be, you know, in the final of Wimbledon or the final at the US Open. Whatever happens in that moment, you live for them and we breathe for them, and hopefully I'll be back for them.

Q. Wouldn't that be the moment to be most respectful of all at that moment?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I honestly don't know the answer. Everyone, we athletes, give 2,000%. I know I do every time.

Nice try, press. It may be bait but she ain't biting.

UPDATE: She was fined $2K for verbally abusing the chair ump but won't face a suspension as it was not deemed a "major offense" said the USTA. Bigger question right now: What the hell did Mike Bryan do to deserve a $10K fine???

[Video via: OzBroadcasting]

VIDEO VAULT: Stosur might still be stunned

Sam Stosur needed to play the match of her life and she did just that, upending Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 to win the US Open and her first major title. The way she owned the court against the 13-time Grand Slammer was pretty impressive. But that's the only way a lady baller is going to beat ReRe in a major final and she was on point from start to finish.

Sammy's power and serve were in full effect and her strategy of hitting and serving right at ReRe to take away angles and draw attackable balls was uber-smart. ReRe is fast but not necessarily quick to get out of her own way when a ball is screaming towards her. Other lady ballers take note.

It must feel incredibly satisfying to be able to execute your A-game at the highest level under the greatest pressure with only two sets and a living legend separating you from your lifelong dream. So cheers to you Sammy. Can't wait for the Australian Open (no pressure, really).

[Video: US Open]

VIDEO VAULT: Djokovic's sick match point save

In case you missed it. Ballsy, jaw-dropping stuff.

[Via: Diegoamuy]

QUOTES OF THE DAY: Roger Federer

Yeah, I had it. There's no more I could do. Snaps one shot, and then the whole thing changes. It's strange how it goes, you know, but it was a good tournament for me. Sure, I'd love to be in the finals and give myself a chance to win the title, which is not the case now. So I have to accept that and move on.

- Roger Federer after squandering two match points during his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the US Open

I don't know why it struck me strangely to hear Fed say "There's no more I could do." He was obviously disappointed after losing a match he probably should have won but I don't recall ever hearing him sound so resigned. The Swiss always has a way of explaining a big loss away and giving the impression he could've won if he had done this or that differently. It seems he realized a match actually could be out of his hands. This one, however, was not.

The Serb was unreal on the first match point - one of the best match point saves that I've ever seen - but Fed had a chance on the second match one. He served smartly into Nole's body and had a forehand he could've put away, but it clipped the net and went out. Maybe he was already discouraged or feeling tight after losing the first match point. But really, there's no explaining that miss away.

Confidence? Are you kidding me? I mean, please. Look, some players grow up and play like that. I remember losing junior matches. Just being down 5 2 in the third, and they all just start slapping shots. It all goes in for some reason, because that's the kind of way they grew up playing when they were down. I never played that way. I believe in hard work's gonna pay off kinda thing, because early on maybe I didn't always work at my hardest. So for me, this is very hard to understand how can you play a shot like that on match point. But, look, maybe he's been doing it for 20 years, so for him it was very normal. You've got to ask him.

- Fed on the match point return winner by Nole

WhatEVAH. That is all.

[Photo(s) credit: Al Bello/Getty Images]