‘Tis the season for Rafael Nadal, when the Spaniard is all smiles and the tennis world quickly runs out of adjectives. A day after winning his 11^thRolex Monte-Carlo Masters title, the World No. 1 had made his way to Barcelona, where he’ll go for title No. 11 at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, an ATP World Tour 500 tournament.

The event has a special “home” feeling for Nadal. He grew up in Mallorca, a Spanish island about an hour’s flight from Barcelona, and last year at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899, officials named the main show court after Nadal, Pista Rafa Nadal.

The Spaniard is 53-3 in Barcelona and has won eight of his 10 titles without dropping a set, including 2016-17.

Watch: Nadal Remembers ‘Unforgettable Moment’ In Barcelona

“It was fantastic. It was an unforgettable moment,” Nadal said of winning his 10^th title.

“It’s a tournament that I know very well. I feel a little bit like home, even if my home is Mallorca, I am from this club and I enjoy the fact that I can play here in front of my people.

“This part of the season, all the events are so special for me, so I really enjoy playing every week and this week is not an exception. Now having two weeks at home, Barcelona and then [the Mutua Madrid Open, starting 6 May], it’s a special two weeks back-to-back.”

Nadal is the top seed in a crowded Barcelona draw that includes three Top 10 players in Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin. Monte-Carlo finalist Kei Nishikori, a two-time Barcelona champion (2014-15), and former No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who accepted a wild card last week, will also compete in the Spanish metropolis.

Nadal could face Nishikori in the third round, the sixth-seeded Djokovic in the quarter-finals and Goffin, the fourth seed, in the semi-finals. A rematch with Thiem or Dimitrov would have to wait until the final.

Last year, Thiem was the only player to beat Nadal on clay, but the Spaniard again avenged that loss last week in Monte-Carlo, advancing 6-0, 6-2 in the quarter-finals.

The next round, Nadal dismissed Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1 before beating Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Nadal has won a career-best 36 consecutive sets on clay.

“Very happy about what happened last week of course. It was a great week,” Nadal said.

The 31-year-old left-hander needs to win his 11^th title in Barcelona to remain No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, or else Swiss Roger Federer will take over. But Nadal said holding onto the top ranking isn’t any extra motivation for him this week.

“For me the extra motivation is just playing the tournaments that I am playing,” Nadal said. “Monte-Carlo, for me is like a love story and here, almost the same. My real motivation is just play, Monte-Carlo last week and now play Barcelona. That’s a tournament that I have had a lot of success and I really feel the passion for playing.”

It was a seminal moment for Hugo Dellien. And one that was just as groundbreaking for his native Bolivia.

On Sunday, the 24-year-old from Trinidad, Bolivia, celebrated a historic victory in clinching his first ATP Challenger Tour title. In front of a packed crowd in Sarasota, Florida, a dogged Dellien rallied from a set down to lift the trophy, defeating Argentine veteran Facundo Bagnis 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 58 minutes.

As Dellien fired a backhand down the line and collapsed to the green clay, his hands covering his face as emotions from years of hard work boiled over, it was clear that this wasn’t an ordinary victory. 

“I am so happy, because I know that Bolivia does not have a top-level athlete in the world,” Dellien told ATPWorldTour.com. “I hope that I can motivate others to believe that they too can find this path in sports. Now, I am just taking it week by week and it’s very emotional for me, because this is my dream. I am so happy right now.”

With a population of more than 10 million, Bolivia is the eighth-largest country in South America. Its diverse culture is rich in cuisine, art, music and dance, with strong influences from its indigenous people. But, the nation remains in search of a sporting icon; someone to put the developing country on the map on a global scale. Bolivia has been represented at 20 different Olympic Games, but it has yet to win a medal. Its football team has appeared in three World Cups, but only once since 1950.

Now, the nation has a tennis champion to celebrate. With his triumph in Sarasota, Dellien became just the second Bolivian-born player to claim victory on the ATP Challenger Tour. The win comes nearly 35 years after Mario Martinez lifted the trophy in Messina, Italy. And the celebration has already begun.

Following Dellien’s victory, Bolivian President Evo Morales released the following message on his official Twitter account…

Congratulations to our brother Hugo Dellien, No. 1 in Bolivian tennis, for winning your first ATP singles title at the Challenger tournament in Sarasota. We are very proud of you for taking Bolivia to new heights in international tennis.

Welcome to the club, @hugo_dellien! The 24-year-old celebrates his maiden #ATPChallenger title in Sarasota.

First player from ?? to lift a ? since Mario Martinez in 1983. pic.twitter.com/lwasqHOeWB

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 22, 2018

As the news spread throughout the region, Latin America’s ESPN picked up the story, reporting Dellien’s hallmark victory on SportsCenter.

For Dellien, the victory was particularly bittersweet, considering it had been four years since he reached his first Challenger final, in Montevideo in 2014. That is, four years of battling on the circuit to realise his dreams. After blasting #NextGenATP star Michael Mmoh in straight sets, saving a match point in a quarter-final win over Stefan Kozlov, ousting an in-form Juan Ignacio Londero in the semis and overcoming Bagnis in the championship, that moment has arrived.

With the win, Dellien rises 59 spots in the ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 172. The 24-year-old is looking to join Martinez as the only Bolivians to crack the Top 100, with his countryman peaking at World No. 35 after his victory in Messina in 1983.

Dellien will continue his charge up the ATP Rankings at ATP Challenger Tour stops in Tallahassee and Savannah, before traveling to Europe to prepare for Roland Garros qualifying.

If you’re looking for anyone to prove that age is just a number, look no further than 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic.

The Croatian saved two match points in a second-set tie-break to oust former World No. 5 Tommy Robredo 6-7(5), 7-6(8), 6-4 on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, winning his first match at the event since his run to the 2006 quarter-finals (l. to Wawrinka). It is Karlovic’s first appearance in Barcelona since 2008.

The 6’11” right-hander has not let slip the momentum of an impressive run to the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship semi-finals two weeks ago. Karlovic extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against the 35-year-old Robredo to 4-0 thanks to a 29-ace performance. Karlovic next faces No. 8 seed Roberto Bautista Agut, whom he beat in three tie-break sets last year in Madrid in their only FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup.

Read — Karlovic: On The Line

And while the Croatian is the oldest player in the field, there was also a battle between the two youngest competitors in Barcelona. #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated fellow #NextGenATP player Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-1, the 19-year-old continuing his breakout season.

Prior to 2018, the 19-year-old had won four tour-level matches. With his win against the youngest player in the field, Moutet, the Greek now has seven triumphs this year alone.

Tsitsipas, who is at a career-best No. 63 in the ATP Rankings, broke the French qualifier five times to close out the victory in 87 minutes. It is the second tournament in a row that the Greek has ousted a fellow #NextGenATP competitor after beating Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the first round at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The right-hander will look to continue his good form against No. 7 seed Diego Schwartzman, who won the first ATP World Tour 500-level event of the year at the Rio Open presented by Claro. The Argentine won the pair’s only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting last year in Antwerp in straight sets.

In other action, 34-year-old Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who debuted in Barcelona 13 years ago, defeated World No. 42 Yuichi Sugita 7-6(5), 7-6(5), saving 11 of 14 break points he faced in the two-hour, 27-minute clash. Frenchman Benoit Paire ousted in-form Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 6-4 to set up an encounter against No. 5 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, against whom Paire owns a 3-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead. Wild card Marcel Granollers thrilled the home crowd with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 win against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin.

Did You Know?
Ivo Karlovic became the oldest player to advance to an ATP World Tour semi-final since Jimmy Connors at 1993 San Francisco when he reached the final four in Houston.

Rafael Nadal has always been an appreciative champion, and he’s especially that way now as, despite being deep into his career, the Spaniard continues to win “Big Titles” – a combination of Grand Slam, Masters 1000 and Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

In what seems like an annual tradition now, the Spaniard added another Big Title at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo on Sunday, beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 for his 11^th Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters crown.

Watch Highlights: Nadal Wins 11th Monte-Carlo Title

The victory gave the Spaniard his 31^st Masters 1000 crown, putting him atop the all-time Masters 1000 leaderboard. Nadal also celebrated his 47^th Big Title, which draws him even with Novak Djokovic for second place, still six behind Roger Federer, who has 53 Big Titles.

“My true feeling is these kind of things [are] not going to happen forever, so just try to enjoy and to play with the full passion and with the full energy and concentration, full love for the sport,” Nadal said.

“I know the day to say goodbye is closer than 10 years ago. Is something that I am not worried about, but is a real thing. So just enjoying every day and trying to play with the best attitude possible, to keep being happy playing tennis.”

The 31-year-old Nadal also improved his Big Title conversion rate. He and Djokovic are tied for the best rate, winning one Big Title every 3.5 opportunities. Federer has won an average of one Big Title every 4.1 chances.

Current and Former Champions’ Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990) 

 * Becker’s four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg’s three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.  

Read More: Nadal, Djokovic Drawn In Same Barcelona Quarter

Nadal, who has won a career-best 36 consecutive sets on clay, can’t pull even with Federer’s Big Title haul during the clay-court season. But, with three more Big Titles on clay – Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia and Roland Garros – the World No. 1 can pull ahead of Djokovic as early as 13 May, the day of the Madrid final. Of course, Djokovic could do the same, setting up more must-see tennis on the European red dirt.

“Next week is another week that I have a tough draw in Barcelona,” Nadal said. “Is not the moment to stop and to disconnect your mind. Is the moment to stay focused and to keep holding that momentum, that is a good one after winning seven matches in a row on clay now, this year. That’s a positive thing. The way that I won the matches is very positive. So is the moment to keep going, and that’s my goal.”

It may have taken five years, but reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov is back where it all started.

The Bulgarian, who spent time training in Spain as a junior and received his first qualifying wild card into an ATP World Tour event in Barcelona 12 years ago as a 16-year-old, is competing in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell for the first time since 2013.

“Now that I’m back here, it brings back so many good memories,” Dimitrov said. “I practically spent my junior years out here, so it’s just pretty much coming back to the same courts where I used to practise and of course hang around, and just be a kid.”

The World No. 5 will hope that the familiarity will help him produce a strong performance this week. Dimitrov got his clay-court season off to a good start at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he advanced to the semi-finals for the first time before losing against the eventual champion, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

“For a start, it’s not bad,” said Dimitrov, who had lost in the third round at his previous event, the Miami Open presented by Itau. “I finished Miami a little bit early, which kind of worried me, that I wasn’t going to get a few matches before such an event like Monte-Carlo. But I think at the same time that gave me a little peace of mind that I can rest a little bit and sort of start fresh to prepare. It’s a good start, I’m not going to hide that.”

But Dimitrov does not only want a good start. He wants to maintain consistency on the clay, the surface on which he has captured just one of his eight tour-level titles.

“The past years, I felt I’ve done well on the clay, but not good enough,” Dimitrov said. “I grew up on clay. I feel I can play well and do well, so hopefully this week’s going to give me a little bit of that.”

The 26-year-old is joining 10-time champion Nadal, Top 10 players in Dominic Thiem and David Goffin, as well as former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to lead the field.

“It’s pretty magnificent to see all the players that are playing out here and ready to compete,” Dimitrov said. “I think everybody’s hungry for some matches and wants to compete, which is great. I’m very happy to see this and I’m all for the competition.”

And just because he lost against Nadal — who has now won 36 consecutive sets on clay — in Monte-Carlo, doesn’t mean Dimitrov lacks belief.

“I think everything is possible,” said Dimitrov, who opens against Frenchman Gilles Simon or Ilya Ivashka of Belarus. “I think you should never rule out any performance or any tournament that you play, doesn’t matter if Roger [Federer] or Rafa or whoever else is playing in that tournament. If you want to be the best, you need to beat the best at some point.”

No. 22 Kei Nishikori, +14
Nishikori showed that he is well on his way to returning to the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings with his run to the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Nadal). The former World No. 4 was unseeded in the Principality, but battled his way through the draw with four three-set wins in five matches en route to the final.

Read More: Nishikori: ‘I’m Almost There’

The Japanese right-hander beat No. 18 Tomas Berdych, Sydney International titlist Daniil Medvedev and Italian Andreas Seppi to reach the quarter-finals, where Nishikori had to raise his level and he did. The 28-year-old fought past two Top 5 opponents – Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev – to make his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final.

No. 3 Alexander Zverev, +1
The German celebrated his 21^st birthday by clinching his best finish yet in Monte-Carlo. Zverev outlasted Frenchman Richard Gasquet in three sets to make the semi-finals (l. to Nishikori) and guarantee his return to his career-high position in the ATP Rankings of No. 3.

After a slow start to the Masters 1000 season in Indian Wells (l. to Joao Sousa, R2), Zverev, a two-time Masters 1000 titlist (2017 Rome, Montreal) has returned to regular proceedings by reaching the Miami Open presented by Itau final (l. to Isner) and the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo.

No. 29 Richard Gasquet, +5
The Frenchman appeared healthy and able to produce some of his best tennis in Monte-Carlo, which is especially encouraging for Gasquet, who endured a frustrating number of stops and starts in 2017. Gasquet missed the first five Masters 1000 tournaments last year due to appendicitis surgery and a back injury.

But in Monte-Carlo, the 31-year-old right-hander dropped only three games against then-No. 15 Diego Schwartzman, before defeating German Mischa Zverev, Alexander’s older brother, for his 500^th victory, becoming the first Frenchman to achieve the milestone.

No. 35 Philipp Kohlschreiber, +5
The German veteran again showed his clay-court prowess in Monte-Carlo. Kohlschreiber, who has won six of his eight titles on clay, beat Houston finalist Tennys Sandgren of the U.S. and 2017 finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain to make the third round (l. to Dimitrov).

No. 55 Andreas Seppi, +7
The Italian was a home favourite for the Monte-Carlo faithful, and he did not disappoint. The 34-year-old qualified by beating #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur and Marcel Granollers of Spain. Seppi then showed the form that helped him beat Alexander Zverev in Rotterdam earlier this year. The Italian eliminated Marrakech finalist Kyle Edmund of Great Britain and Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez before falling to Nishikori in the third round.