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Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal Does It Again, Wins 11th Title

By Harry Floyd

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the trophy after his victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their final match during day seven of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on April 29, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the trophy after his victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their final match during day seven of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on April 29, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
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Rafael Nadal takes home his 11th career singles title at the Barcelona Open this weekend. He defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in the finals.

Surprise, surprise, it’s Rafael Nadal winning the Barcelona Open yet again. The world No. 1 continues to dominate the clay court season, defeating young up and comer Stefanos Tsitsipas in the finals on Sunday. The title is his 11th career singles title in Barcelona.

Nadal wins his meeting with Tsitsipas in straight sets, going 6–2, 6–1. Besides Nadal, Kei Nishikori won back to back titles at the event previously. It’s Rafa though who remains the one and only player to beat during the clay court season. Despite struggling with lingering injury issues earlier in the year, Nadal cannot be stopped.

The win in Barcelona follows one at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Nadal has bounced back to the ATP World Tour in fine form. While he planned on returning around play at the Mexican Open, Nadal delayed his comeback and it has clearly worked out. He is right where he needs to be heading into play at the French Open next month.

Rafael Nadal wins back to back titles at the 2018 Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.

Next: 2018 French Open Favorites

In the semifinals this week, Nadal took down Belgian tennis star David Goffin. As for Tsitsipas, he can take a lot of positives away from his runner-up performance in Barcelona. Reaching career heights, the 19-year-old has proven that he can hang with the best in men’s singles tennis. During his Barcelona Open run, he defeated the likes of Dominic Thiem and Pablo Carreno Busta among others. At such a young age, he is without a doubt someone to watch on the ATP World Tour moving forward. Congratulations to Nadal on his 11th career Barcelona Open title and there is no doubt that fans are primed for him to come out strong at Roland Garros next month. His impressive performance as of late increases the chances that he is the odds on favorite at the upcoming Grand Slam. Stay tuned to see if Nadal can defeat the field at the major tournament.

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