Rafael Nadal was still beaming about winning the US Open as he spent his final day in New York before heading home.
The world tennis number one was taken on a whirlwind tour of Manhattan on Wednesday, showing off his new trophy to screaming fans in Times Square and on Fifth Avenue and being whisked around the television studios.
He apologised to Spanish journalists for his early morning media conference on his return to Madrid, and he was given a standing ovation when he walked out onto Bernabeu stadium before Real Madrid's Champions League group match against Ajax Amsterdam.
In his typically humble style, Nadal dismissed suggestions that he was the "Spanish Special One", describing his win in New York as merely a step forward in his career.
