Ferrer started his 2013 season by successfully defending his Heineken Open title defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets. At the Australian Open, Ferrer came back from two sets down to defeat fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals. In his semifinal match he was thrashed by eventual champion Djokovic in straight sets, winning only five games. Following the continued absence of Rafael Nadal from the ATP Tour, Ferrer became the Spanish no. 1 for the first time in his career, re-entering the top 4 in the rankings on 28 January 2013. Ferrer then won his second title of the year at the Copa Claro defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in three sets. but lost to Nadal in the 2013 Abierto Mexicano Telcel final in Acapulco, winning only two games. He then suffered an early loss at the 2013 BNP Paribas Open, falling to Kevin Anderson in his first match of the tournament.