Grid frequency must be regulated in its nominal range to guarantee the stable operation of an electric power grid. Excessive grid frequency excursions result in load shedding, grid frequency instability, or even synchronous generator damage. With the growing wind penetration, there is an increasing issue about the reduction in inertia response. This paper addresses a self-adaptive inertial control strategy for improving the frequency nadir and smoothly regaining the rotor speed to the initial working condition without causing a second frequency drop (SFD). The first objective is achieved by determining the incremental power considering the maximum rate of change of frequency; the secondary goal is realized by smoothly decreasing the power reference based on the decreasing function. Simulation results verify that the proposed control strategy not only boosts the frequency nadir but also guarantees the smooth rotor speed recovery with a negligible SFD.