Back in action, Nadal wins the São Paulo Open.
With a victory over Argentinian David Nalbandian at Ibirapuera, he wins his first title after a long injury layoff and regains the confidence to reign supreme on clay once more.
247 - Rafael Nadal is back. And in Brazil, no less. The Spanish tennis player, who was once world number one and was sidelined for almost a year due to knee injuries, won the Brazilian Open tennis tournament this Sunday, held in Ibirapuera. His 51st career title came with a two-set victory against Argentinian David Nalbandian, 6-2, 6-3.
In the first set, Nadal managed two service breaks and won easily. In the next, Nalbandian returned the favor. Nalbandian broke Nadal's serve twice and opened up a three-game lead. But then, inexplicably, he suffered a blackout and lost six games in a row.
The title deeply moved the Spanish tennis player, as well as his family who came to São Paulo to support him. During his time away from the sport, Nadal faced doping accusations, even though he had knee injuries. The king of clay, he now gains confidence to return and win his favorite tournament: Roland Garros in Paris.