Nadal overcomes Tsitsipas to win 12th Barcelona Open title

Rafael Nadal, Spanish tennis player, has defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greek rising star, 6-4 6-7 7-5 to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday evening.

The 34-year-old Spaniard’s victory sees the honorary Real Madrid member win a record-extending 12th title in Barcelona, ending a three-year drought at the tournament.

The victory was also an act of revenge on the 22-year-old who stunned Nadal at the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in February.

Nadal, the world number three, who also defeated Tsitsipas in his last Barcelona final, broke the Greek’s serve in the crucial 11th game of the third set.

In the longest ATP tour match of the year at 3 hours and 38 minutes, the top seed was one point from defeat at 4-5 but recovered to win three straight games and claim the Banc Sabadell trophy.

Nadal’s latest triumph is his 61st tour-level title on clay, a victory that ended Tsitsipas’ unbeaten record on the muddy surface this season.

According to ATP, Nadal will move to no. 2 in the FedEx world rankings to be announced on Monday.