The Spaniard delighted his home fans by downing Austria's Dominic Thiem in the final, 7-6, 6-4.

It means the 30-year-old 14-time Grand Slam champion has now won three clay court tournaments in a row after victories in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

The double Olympic gold medallist struggled with a wrist injury last season, missing the French Open and Wimbledon.

Some said his best days were behind him but he will now be highly fancied to win a 10th French title at Roland Garros when action begins later this month in Paris.

He has also now become the new number four in the world.

Nadal claimed the first set against Thiem after a lengthy tiebreak which finished 10-8.

He then broke the serve of the Austrian in the early going of the second set before sealing his win.

The victory is Nadal's 30th at Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Masters 1000 level, meaning he has tied the record held by Serbia's Novak Djokovic.

"The truth is I was up against an opponent who, in the next five to 10 years, will be fighting for the most important titles, so I'm very happy to have won," Nadal said to Television Espanola.

"It was a very exciting game.

"It was a very important final for both of us, for him as it was the first in the Masters 1000, and for me it's always special to play here in Madrid, in this unique tournament.

"You never know when it might be the last, so I always try to enjoy it."