Rafael Nadal beats Alexander Zverev for record 8th Italian Open tennis title

Rafael Nadal defeated Alexander Zverev in three sets to win the Italian Open crown in Rome on Sunday evening.

Rafael Nadal came out on top in a matchup of this year’s top two clay-court players, beating defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 Sunday to win a record-extending eighth Italian Open title.

Spain's Rafael Nadal applauds supporters after beating Germany's Alexander Zverev in their final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome on Sunday.(AP)

Nadal recovered from an early break in the third set after a 50-minute rain delay.

READ | Milos Raonic pulls out of French Open

The victory means Nadal will reclaim the No. 1 ranking from Roger Federer on Monday.

Federer is sitting out the clay season to prepare for Wimbledon.

Nadal and Zverev had each won two titles on clay this season entering the final, with Nadal lifting trophies in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and Zverev taking Munich and Madrid.

READ | Elina Svitolina dominates Simona Halep to defend Italian Open tennis crown

Nadal improved to 5-0 in his career against Zverev and gained an extra measure of confidence entering the French Open, which starts next Sunday.

Earlier, Elina Svitolina defended the women’s title, facing little resistance from top-ranked Simona Halep in a 6-0, 6-4 win.