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Rafael Nadal overcame a mid-match surge from Novak Djokovic and raised his level in the deciding set to triumph 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 on Sunday and lift his 10th trophy at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

In the 57th meeting of the ATP Tour’s most prolific rivalry, top seed Djokovic was facing second seed Nadal for the ninth time at the Foro Italico (Nadal leads 6-3). Nadal improved to 4-2 in Rome finals against Djokovic with the victory, and brought his ATP Head2Head record against the Serbian to 28-29 overall.

"It's a very satisfying [victory]," Nadal said in his post-match press conference. "It's amazing [to] have the trophy with me again one more time here in Rome. The 10th, I really wanted this 10th here in Rome. It was one of the first important titles that I won in my career.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner revamped his daily fitness regimen so he could keep on winning tennis tournaments well into his thirties.

The coronavirus pandemic may have forced tennis great Rafael Nadal to shelter in place at his home in Mallorca, but it didn’t stop him from competing. To get his game fix, he used two lawn chairs as a net and challenged his sister to matches.

One of the sport’s fiercest competitors, Mr. Nadal, 34, turned pro in 2001. Two decades later the Spaniard hasn’t lost his intensity. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is known for his aggressive style of play. Over the years, he has made small yet strategic adjustments to his game so he can keep winning as his body ages. He also has adapted his workouts.