Djokovic Overcomes Clay King Nadal to Capture Monte-Carlo Title

Top-seeded and world number one Novak Djokovic defeated the eight-time defending champion and third seeded Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6(1) in the finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Sunday, breaking Nadal’s 46-match winning streak at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Djokovic is the first player to beat Nadal three times in a clay-court final. He also ended Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay in the month of April. Last year, Djokovic’s grandfather died during the Monte Carlo event, but he kept playing to reach the final. With the win, Djokovic is now 15-19 head-to-head against Nadal, having avenged two runner-up finishes to Nadal in the 2009 and 2012 Monte-Carlo finals.

"Rafa, thank you for allowing me to win it once," Djokovic said after the match. "If somebody told me 10 days ago I’d be winning the trophy, I wouldn’t think it’s so realistic, to be honest. I couldn’t ask for a better start to the clay season."

Djokovic has now won 14 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles and 37th trophies overall, having won every ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title with the exception of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

"Congratulations … good luck for the rest of the season," Nadal told Djokovic after the match.

Nadal is off to his next event, the 2013 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, seeking his eighth title in Barcelona. 

"I have lost a final, and that’s it," said Nadal to the media in Barcelona on Monday. "Moreover, I have lost against the best player in the world."

Nadal was satisfied with his performance in Monte Carlo and said that neither he nor his team could have imagined the results he is achieving after his comeback from a knee injury that kept him out a majority of 2012.

"When you make it to the final in Monte Carlo you cannot think that you had a bad week," said Nadal. "Now I’m in Barcelona and I want to enjoy it. I love playing here."

Nadal has a first round bye in Barcelona and awaits the winner of the match between Carlos Berlocq and Daniel Gimeno-Traver to determine is second round opponent. Nadal has reached five consecutive finals since returning in February from a knee injury—winning three, and losing two.