Rafael Nadal etched his name in even more history on Sunday as he completed his second ‘La Decima’ in the space of two weeks, before setting his sights on achieving a third in Paris next month.

The legendary Spaniard, completely outmaneuvered his opponent Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1, to lift a tenth Barcelona Open title, only a week after becoming the first man to win a single event ten times at the Monte Carlo Masters.

With these two consecutive clay victories and the milestones which come with them, Nadal’s revival can now truly be confirmed. Like his great rival, Roger Federer, the soon to be 31-year-old has rediscovered his swashbuckling best and is enduring a magical comeback season.

The signs were there earlier on in the year when he reached the finals in Australia and Miami with improved performances, only to be thwarted by a magnificent and inspired Federer in both encounters. However, over the past two weeks, his persistence finally paid off as he served with assurance, defended with an unyielding spirit and struck his forehands with more authority.

Hence, Novak Djokovic’s loss of confidence and Andy Murray’s injury woes will surely have the ‘King of Clay’ now believing that he can lift a tenth French Open title and a first since 2014, on his favorite surface. Indeed, one thing is for sure, he has not been in much better shape to do so for some time.

 “It’s two consecutive weeks winning, in Monte Carlo and here, two special tournaments for me, it is a dream start on clay,” a delighted Nadal told AS. “It means a lot for me to reach number 10 here in Barcelona, in front of the people of my club, I am very happy and emotional.”

“The first set was vitally important. It was hard. I was having a few more chances than him but it was very even and that is why I celebrated with so much energy at the end.”

Such has been Nadal’s dominance in Barcelona down the years, the club officially announced on Wednesday, to rename the stadium in Catalonia – Pista Rafa Nadal. Remarkably, most legends receive such an accolade as a retiree, however, Nadal has done so while being a champion and that is a testament to his supreme success.

“I thank the club and its members for putting my name on this court,” said the Spaniard. “It means a lot to me.”

As if it wasn’t hard enough to beat the ‘Raging Bull’ on clay already, playing him on his own court, has certainly made it an even harder task, as an optimistic Thiem discovered on Sunday.

“I really enjoyed the week in Barcelona”, said the Austrian. “There are worse things than to lose against the greatest player on clay ever.”

Thiem impressed in Spain, showing real belief and grit in his semi-final defeat of Andy Murray, but, ultimately, Nadal was the one who stole the show here once again.

If he can win a tenth French Open and a hat-trick of ‘La Decimas’ in the coming weeks, then his status as ‘the greatest player on clay ever’ will be confirmed beyond debate.