Rafael Nadal became the first player in the Open Era to win two tournaments eight times after beating Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 in Sunday’s Barcelona Open final.

Almagro took it to Rafa early on and built a 3-0 lead, but Rafa found his form and broke his fellow Spaniard in three of his next four service games to take the initiative for good.

It was Rafa’s 54th career title and his 39th triumph on his beloved clay. Rafa has won all 10 meetings with the 12th-ranked Almagro. He has won 39 straight matches on the red clay at Real Club de Tenis, with his last loss coming 10 years ago.

“I feel very happy to lift the trophy once again here in Barcelona. It means a lot especially after the difficult year I’ve had. The conditions were very difficult today, especially in the first 6 games as it was raining a lot. I am extremely satisfied about being able to defeat a player like Nico in straight sets in the final. I played better and better as the match went on and the break at 1-3 in the first set was vital for me. In the second set, things went smoother and I managed [to do] well in all the difficult moments.” said Rafa.

CONGRATULATIONS RAFA! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!