The Spaniard put on a show with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 defeat of Novak Djokovic inside two hours and 25 minutes at Foro Italico en route to his 34th Masters 1000 success.
Rafael Nadal claimed the first ever bagel set between the pair in what was their 54th ATP Tour meeting and was much closer to his best as he overcame the Serbian – who he lost to in the final of the Australian Open in their previous head-to-head.
Since then, Nadal had surprisingly struggled on clay, failing to win any of his first three tournaments on his favoured surface.
Now a 58-time titlist on the red dirt, Nadal relinquished two tournaments where he was the holding champion by going out in the semi finals in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Meanwhile he failed to win in Madrid for the fourth time in the last five years as Djokovic went on to down Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
But Nadal got back to winning ways with the 81st ATP title of his career in Rome, the final event before the season’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
Djokovic was thought to be heading into Paris – where Roger Federer will play for the first time since 2015 – as the favourite given Nadal’s open struggles in recovering his best form after injury.
However, former British No 1 Rusedski insists Nadal is well and truly back after the 32-year-old once again battled back from fitness woes.
And the tennis pundit suspects Nadal will take extra pleasure in his latest victory, even though he had done it eight times before at the Masters tournament.
“It is lovely to see, what it means to him,” Rusedski said while watching a beaming Nadal enjoy his Italian Open triumph and smiling with the trophy.
“All the things he’s been through in Indian Wells as well as not winning a title since Toronto, I think this one will be one of the most special in his trophy cabinet.
“I’ve been lucky enough to go to the Rafa Nadal Academy and you see all those 17 majors lined up with all the tournaments he’s win, Monte Carlo, Rome, all around the world.
“That one is going to have a real special place.
“’I’ve made it back again from a lot of question marks.’ He talked about, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get back, how the body is.’
“Now he is back again.”
Nadal, Djokovic and Federer will learn their first opponents at the French Open when the draw is conducted this Thursday (6pm UK time). The Grand Slam then gets underway three days later.