BEIJING (AP) August 17, 2008 — Rafael Nadal will become No. 1 in the rankings Monday, and he is No. 1 at the Olympics.

The Spaniard won a gold medal Sunday, overcoming two set points in the second set and holding every service game to beat Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

The gold medal was the first ever for Spain in Olympic tennis.

Gonzalez adds the silver medal to his singles bronze and doubles gold from Athens 2004.

Nadal was already assured of taking over the No. 1 ranking Monday for the first time, ending Roger Federer's reign after 4½ years. Nadal has won 38 of his past 39 matches, including victories over Federer in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Nadal raced through the first set, breaking at 1-0, creating two set points with a delicate drop shot and finishing it with a forehand winner.

Gonzalez pummelled an inside-out forehand into the right corner to create two second-set points on Nadal's serve, but put a simple volley wide and netted twice as the Spaniard escaped.

Nadal was never behind in the tie-break and thumped his chest as he sprayed a punishing forehand down the line for four set points. Gonzalez miscued a forehand to go two sets down.

The Chilean was tottering and Nadal landed the knock-out blow when he broke for a 3-1 lead in the third. With victory in sight, Nadal saved two break points as he scurried to a Gonzalez drop-shot and guided the ball back past his opponent.

Gonzalez heroically survived three match points — one created by a successful Hawkeye challenge — at 2-5 but the result was inevitable and the Chilean could not get back a wide-angled forehand on the first match point in the next game.

Nadal is set to become number one after more than three years ranked second behind Roger Federer. He has now won eight titles this year including his fourth French Open crown and first Wimbledon trophy, both at the expense of the Swiss, and has lost just once in 39 matches.

Nadal, an anonymous doubles player at Athens 2004, claims Spain's first tennis gold after Jordi Arrese and Sergi Bruguera were losing finalists in 1992 and 1996 respectively.

Gonzalez's third Olympic medal comes after he was embroiled in a row after his semi-final with James Blake, who accused him of bad sportsmanship.

Men's singles has traditionally been an upset-filled event at the Olympics, and Nadal is the first player ranked in the top five to win the gold.

He took charge against Gonzalez from the start, breaking serve in the second game. Nadal didn't face any break points until the 12th game of the second set, when he was down 5-6, 15-40.

Gonzalez failed to convert the set points, pushing a volley wide and putting a forehand in the net. The Chilean made five unforced errors in the tiebreaker to give Nadal a commanding lead.

Nadal ripped a backhand passing shot to break at love for a 3-1 lead in the final set, and erased two more break points to hold for 5-2.

He needed four match points to close out the victory, ripping one last forehand that Gonzalez barely could reach. Nadal collapsed to his back in jubilation.

Tennis was not a medal sport between 1924 and 1988.