On Sunday, Roger Federer put the rest of the ATP World Tour on notice, claiming his third title of the season at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Federer’s run of dominance has been arguably the biggest storyline in 2017, but the Swiss does not stand alone. Despite falling 6-3, 6-4, Rafael Nadal is tied with his longtime rival atop the match wins leaderboard and after a strong fortnight in Miami, he says he is ready to challenge for big titles once again. The Spaniard believes his deep run at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event is representative of his resurgent form.

“I think I am close to where I need to be,” said Nadal. “I am at a very high level of tennis and I believe I am ready to win these titles. I already played three finals this year and today I lost to a player that had lost only one match.”

Two weeks ago, Federer was at his ruthless best against Nadal in Indian Wells, dropping just five games. On Sunday, the Miami final yielded the same outcome, but Nadal admits that it was a completely different match.

With both competitors surging to Top 5 returns in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the Spaniard, who will rise two spots to World No. 5, is looking to build on the momentum in the weeks and months to come. 

“For me, it was a much closer result than the result says and completely different than last week,” Nadal added. “I have been playing well during the whole event. It was a positive tournament for me obviously. A lot of [Emirates ATP Rankings] points, a lot of confidence for the most important part of the season for me that’s just in two weeks.”

FedEx ATP Win/Loss Index (2017)

Nadal was bidding to claim his first Miami title in his fifth final appearance and join Andre Agassi as the only players to win ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in their teens, 20s and 30s. 

The 30 year old next turns his attention to his most successful stretch of the year, as the European clay-court swing is set to commence in two weeks at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Following an impressive run on the North American hard courts, reaching the final in Acapulco, Round of 16 in Indian Wells and final in Miami, Nadal is confident for a strong run on his favourite surface. 

“I’m playing enough well to fight for everything I think. I have good hopes that I going to be ready for Monte-Carlo. Always when I am playing that well, on clay it helps a little bit more for me. I need to work hard to be ready for that. If I am ready for that, I think I am very excited about playing on clay again.

“I think about resting a little bit, having fun a little bit in Mallorca and I’ll be happy to be back home after one-and-a-half months. Then I will start working hard on clay. That’s my goal now. My goal is to feel ready to play on clay again and I know if I have good preparation and have a healthy transition to the clay and find my rhythm on clay, I can be one of those candidates.”

Nadal will seek to make history on the clay, vying to become the first player to win 10 titles at a single tour-level event. He currently owns nine each in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Roland Garros. 

Roger In Hunt To Reclaim No. 1, But Health Comes First

Roger Federer continues his stunning start to 2017 by winning the Miami Open presented by Itau over Rafael Nadal. The win marks his first Miami title and third “Sunshine Double” (2005-2006), in addition to his third winner’s trophy of the year.

The Swiss star remains on top in the Emirates ATP Race to London and holds a convincing lead over his rivals. Having accumulated 4,045 Emirates ATP Rankings Points so far in 2017, he leads No. 2 Rafael Nadal by well over 1,500 points and has more than doubled the points of everyone else on the ATP World Tour.  With Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray struggling with injuries and form over the past month, they’ll both have significant ground to make up during the clay-court season.

But while Federer remains in good stead to reclaim the top spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings, he won’t be playing every week to accomplish this goal. At 35 years old, Federer has said he intends to play a sensible schedule in order to remain healthy and maximise his opportunities at the world’s biggest events. If he is to reclaim the top spot, it likely won’t happen until the second half of 2017.

Kyrgios Could Be Making Bid For London

Gone are the days when Nick Kyrgios would follow up a big win with a surprising loss. The Aussie has remained consistently consistent in 2017, reaching the semi-finals in three of his past four events. His final four showing in Miami was highlighted by one of the finest matches this year, when he came within two points of beating Federer before narrowly losing 7-6(9), 6-7(9), 7-6(5).

The run of form since Australia leaves Kyrgios just outside the Top 8 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. Showing improved mental fortitude, he is bringing his best tennis to every match he plays, regardless of crowd size or opponent. If Kyrgios can continue to keep up his current level of focus, he will be a strong contender to qualify for the ATP Finals.

Zverev Clear Leader Of Next Gen ATP Pack

Alexander Zverev holds a dominant lead over his young rivals in the inaugural Emirates ATP Race to Milan. The 19-year-old German ousted top seed Stan Wawrinka in the fourth-round in Miami before losing to Kyrgios in a match filled with huge hitting and displays of emotion.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Zverev fans is that he excels on all surfaces. He reached his first ATP World Tour final on clay last May in Nice (l. Thiem), defeated Federer the following month to replicate that effort on grass in Halle (l. Mayer) and then lifted his first winner’s trophy in September on the indoor courts of St. Petersburg (d. Wawrinka). Currently inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, Zverev has proven he has all the tools to continue climbing.

Fognini Thriving Against Top Players

After posting a tame 5-5 record in the first two months of 2017, Fabio Fognini came alive in the U.S. After scoring a Top 10 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Indian Wells, the 29 year old defeated second seed Kei Nishikori to reach the semi-finals in Miami before losing to Nadal. This fortnight marked Fognini’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final on hard courts.

Fognini has long proven he is capable of beating the world’s best, but doing so in back-to-back events shows he could be enjoying a late surge in his career. Expect the Italian to score a few more big scalps during the upcoming clay-court season.

Kontinen Becomes New Doubles No. 1

Henri Kontinen will make history for Finland by securing the top spot in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday. The 26 year old has enjoyed outstanding success with John Peers, finishing 2016 by winning the Paris Masters and ATP Finals, and opening this year by prevailing at the Australian Open for their first Grand Slam title.

Kudos also goes to Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, who defeated Nicholas Monroe and Jack Sock to take the doubles title in Miami. After starting the year with a 4-5 record, they regrouped strongly by finishing runner-up in Indian Wells (l. Klaasen/Ram) before their latest success.

The legend continues to grow. Roger Federer extended his run of dominance in 2017, clinching his third title of the season 6-3, 6-4 over Rafael Nadal on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Federer added to his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 legacy, notching his 26th crown and third Sunshine Double (2005-06), having lifted the trophy in Indian Wells two weeks prior. The Swiss, who is projected to return to the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 4 on Monday, earned his 91st tour-level title in total.

On song throughout the fortnight in Miami, Federer rarely put a wrong foot in Sunday’s final, prevailing after one hour and 34 minutes. He fired 29 winners, including 19 off his forehand wing and five aces. The Swiss claimed two of nine break points, while turning aside all four faced.  It was Federer’s first title at the hard-court event since defeating coach Ivan Ljubicic in 2006. 

Sunshine double complete! ?@rogerfederer wins third @MiamiOpen title!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/ajJcDhESr4

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 2, 2017

Arguably the biggest storyline on the ATP World Tour this year has been the renewal of one of the most storied rivalries in the history of sport. It was front and centre once again at the Crandon Park Tennis Center, with Federer and Nadal writing a 37th captivating chapter. With the Spaniard seeking revenge after falling at both the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open, it marked the earliest they’ve played each other three times in a season.

Heavy and humid conditions greeted both competitors as they sought to take the initiative early and often. Federer showed his resilience following a three-hour semi-final epic against Nick Kyrgios on Friday. Looking to carry the momentum after a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Nadal in Indian Wells, he would deny break points in three of his first four service games. Federer struck first at 4-3, flattening an inside-out forehand to push Nadal off the court and secure the opening break of the match. He would consolidate a game later to seize the 48-minute opener.

Looking to turn the tables in the second set, Nadal would overcome a break point at 3-3 30/40 with a lunging volley winner. Despite employing a more aggressive gameplan, he was unable to change the momentum, as Federer remained calm in the big moments and eventually captured the decisive break for 5-4. The fourth seed emerged victorious on his first championship point as a Nadal forehand sailed long.

Flawless against the Top 10 this season, Federer improved to a staggering 7-0 against elite competition and is now 19-1 overall. It is his best start to a season since 2006, when he went 33-1. The first 30 & over final in tournament history, at 35 years and seven months, Federer became the oldest Miami champion.

Exactly 12 years removed from their first-ever meeting in a final, won by the Basel native in five sets, he took a 10-9 lead on hard courts in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. Nadal still leads 23-14 overall, but the Spaniard has dropped their four most recent encounters, dating back to 2015. 

With both players projected to return to the Top 5 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday, Federer earned 1,000 points and $1,175,505 in prize money and Nadal took home 600 points and $573,680. The Mallorca native was bidding to claim his first title in his fifth final appearance in Miami and join Andre Agassi as the only players to win ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in their teens, 20s and 30s. Nadal was seeking a 29th Masters 1000 crown in total and 70th at the tour-level. He remains in search of his first hard-court crown since Doha 2014.