(May 20, 2018) Rafael Nadal returns to No. 1 on Monday by virtue of capturing his eighth Italian Open title on Sunday. The 16-time major champion took down defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6 6-3, winning five straight games after a rain delay at 3-1 with Zverev leading. Nadal now holds 32 Masters Series 1000 titles.
Nadal fell to No. 2 this past week when he lost in the quarterfinals of Madrid Open.
It’s the Spaniard’s first Internazionali BNL d’Italia title since 2013.
“It has been an amazing week,” Nadal said. “To have this trophy with me again is unforgettable.”
“Such an important week to have this trophy with me again after losing in the quarter-finals in Madrid. It was unforgettable and emotional for me. It’s amazing to win eight titles in Rome. It’s a difficult event and to have the chance to win again here means a lot. This is the moment to enjoy winning here again.”
With his 78th title victory, Nadal is now in fourth place in the Open Era in titles won behind Jimmy Connors (109), Roger Federer (97) and Ivan Lendl (94).
Singles – Final
[1] R. Nadal (ESP) d [2] A. Zverev (GER) 61 16 63
Doubles – Final
[6] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL) d [Alt] P. Carreno Busta (ESP) / J. Sousa (POR) 36 64 10-4
