Nadal won 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 for a record-extending ninth Italian Open title.
“Winning a title is important, but for me the most important thing is feel myself competitive, feel myself healthy,” Nadal said.
“Then with the feeling that I am improving.
“I know if I’m able to reach my level you can win, you can lose, but normally I’m going to have my chances, especially on this surface.”
Nadal will seek a record-extending 12th title at the French Open starting next weekend.
In the women’s final, Karolina Pliskova captured the biggest clay-court trophy of her career by defeating Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4.
Konta was the first British woman to reach the Italian Open final since Virginia Wade in 1971, while Pliskova is the first Czech woman to win it since 1978.
