With only 2 titles in his belt, Novak Djokovic has jointly won the 4th highest number of Monte Carlo Masters ever. He is right there with other players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Guillermo Vilas, Gustavo Kuerten, etc. Amidst the onslaught of the winning machine i.e. Rafael Nadal in the past decade-and-a-half, it was troublesome for any player to win this title.
However, Novak Djokovic has managed to win 2 of them, one against Nadal, and reached 2 other finals. Here are 5 best matches played by Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters over the years:
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal, 2009 Monte Carlo Masters
The 2009 Monte Carlo Masters final comes up invariably time and again in the list of ‘best matches ever played in the tournament’s history’. Whether it’s the list of Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, this match remains iconic. That’s because, despite Djokovic’s loss, it remains one of the earliest instances when the Serb challenged the Spanish juggernaut in the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nadal won the first set 6-3, but Djokovic stole the second set 6-2. In the third set, a thrilling one, Nadal won it 6-1.
Novak Djokovic vs Pablo Carreno Busta, 2017 Monte Carlo Masters
At the 2017 Monte Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic faced another Spaniard besides Rafael Nadal in the third round – Pablo Carreno Busta. Busta was the 13th-seeded player in the tournament, whereas Djokovic was the 2nd-seeded player. However, the Spaniard won the second set 6-4 after losing the first one 2-6.
It was a terrific example of bouncing back from being down and out. In the third set, Djokovic was the heavier might, who won it 6-4 to seal his victory.
Novak Djokovic vs Tomas Berdych, 2015 Monte Carlo Masters
The 2015 Monte Carlo Masters was when Djokovic found himself having a second shot at the title. He had once defeated the mighty Rafael Nadal in the 2013 final and was facing Czech player Tomas Berdych on that instance. Berdych challenged Djokovic from the first set itself, forcing the Serb to win by 7-5, almost taking it to tiebreakers.
Tomas Berdych kept the pressure on as he won the second set 6-4, and it looked like he was going to come harder at Djokovic and might cause an upset. However, Djokovic proved the better of the two on that night, as most great players often do. The Serb won the final set 7-5 once again and sealed his 2nd title.
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka, 2009 Monte Carlo Masters
The 2009 Monte Carlo Masters was the first edition of the tournament where Novak Djokovic had reached the finals. Although he lost to Rafael Nadal in the final, he played some incredible tennis along the way, such as against Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic faced Stan Wawrinka in the semi-final, where the Swiss player had a surprise for the Serb right off the bat. He won the first set 6-4, putting Djokovic on the back foot. Djokovic came back stronger than ever to win the next two sets 6-1, 6-3 and booked his place in the finals.
Novak Djokovic vs Albert Montanes Roca, 2009 Monte Carlo Masters
Just like Pablo Carreno Busta in the 2017 Monte Carlo Masters third-round match, Albert Montanes Roca was another Spanish player who challenged Novak Djokovic in the third round of the 2009 Monte Carlo Masters. After Djokovic won the first set 6-1, it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk for him.
However, Montanes Roca took the second set to tiebreakers and won it 7-6 (7-4). Suddenly an intriguing third and final set was on the cards. Djokovic, however, pulled all his skills to inflict a bagel in the final set. He won 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0, and advanced to the next round.
Djokovic also remains the only player to win the Australian Open, Miami Open, and the Monte Carlo Masters in the same year. He did it in the year 2015. Now, Italian player Jannik Sinner has the chance to emulate him and become the second player to achieve that.
