Nadal was ranked No. 3 coming into the event and needed to win the title to overtake Medvedev. The Russian, of course, withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open owing to a positive COVID-19 result, which made matters easier for Nadal.

Speaking to the media after his win, Rafael Nadal explained that he still has to work on his claycourt form. The 34-year-old made steady progress through the week in Barcelona, but he stressed that he was ’not perfect’ in the final against Tsitsipas.

Rafael Nadal also expressed hope that his hard-fought victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas will help him find the higher gear he knows he can attain on clay.

The Mallorcan also showered rich praise on Stefanos Tsitsipas, lauding the Greek’s passion towards the sport. Nadal went on to claim that Tsitsipas is talented enough to fight for the title at every event he participates in.

Rafael Nadal went on to speak glowingly about his coaching team and family, both of whom have been instrumental throughout his career - especially during periods in which he has struggled.

A look at what the ATP chart looks like now that Rafael Nadal has climbed back to No. 2

Despite a title-less run at Monte Carlo and Serbia, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic still leads the pack with 11,963 points in his kitty. Rafael Nadal is in second place with 9,810 points to his name, while Daniil Medvedev has dropped to No. 3 at 9,700 points.

Dominic Thiem retains his fourth spot and leads Stefanos Tsitsipas by close to 400 points. Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev occupy the sixth and seventh spots, respectively.

Interestingly, Roger Federer retains his eighth spot from last week with 5,875 points. The Swiss maestro will be back in action in a couple of weeks, which means it is unlikely for the ninth-ranked Diego Schwartzman - who trails Federer by roughly 2000 ranking points - to displace the Swiss anytime soon.

  1. Novak Djokovic - 11,963 points

  2. Rafael Nadal - 9,810 points

  3. Daniil Medvedev - 9,700 points

  4. Dominic Thiem - 8365 points

  5. Stefanos Tsitsipas - 7,980 points

  6. Alexander Zverev - 6,125 points

  7. Andrey Rublev - 6,000 points

  8. Roger Federer - 5,875 points

  9. Diego Schwartzman - 3,765 points

  10. Matteo Berrettini - 3,568 points

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