Rafael Nadal once again proved why he is called the ‘King of Clay.’ The Spaniard won yet another title on clay after lifting the Barcelona Open title for the 12th time. In an epic encounter, he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final in three sets. The final scoreline of the match was 6-4, 6(6)-7(8), 7-5.

With his 452nd victory on clay, Rafael Nadal is now the new World No. 2. He lost the No. 2 spot to Daniil Medvedev after his defeat in the quarters of the Australian Open 2021 against Stefanos Tsitsipas. On the other hand, Medvedev ended up as the runner-up of the Australian Open 2021 after losing to Novak Djokovic in the finals which helped him to ascend to the second position.

Rafa was No. 3 on the list of ATP rankings with 9,490 points before the Barcelona Open 2021 while Medvedev was on No. 2 with 9,850 points after his early exit from the Miami Open 2021. After winning the Barcelona Open 2021, Nadal earned 500 points that take his tally to 9,950 points. 100 points ahead of the Russian.

Medvedev tested positive for the coronavirus after the Miami Open 2021. As a result, he couldn’t take part at the Monte Carlo Masters 2021 and the Barcelona Open 2021. This proved to be advantageous for Rafa because even though he missed the Miami Open, he had two tournaments to surpass Medvedev with.

New ATP rankings after the victory of Rafael Nadal at the Barcelona Open 2021

As per the new rankings, Novak Djokovic is still on the No. 1 spot. However, Nadal has climbed one spot and has managed to dethrone Medvedev who is now on the third position.

Apart from this, the rest of the rankings of the top 10 players remain the same. Dominic Thiem is on the fourth place and behind him is the Barcelona Open 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas. Interestingly, Roger Federer is on the 8th spot in the rankings.

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Rafael Nadal has definitely gained momentum ahead of the Italian Open 2021. Even though he lost in the quarters of the Monte Carlo Masters 2021, he showed that he is still the favorite for the upcoming French Open 2021. Will Rafa be able to defend his title at Roland Garros yet again this year?

EPIC: Rafael Nadal Saves Match Point to Clinch his 12th Barcelona Open Title After Battling Past Stefanos Tsitsipas