World No. 1 Novak Djokovic resides in Monte-Carlo, so he won’t have to travel far to try to win his third Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title.
The Serbian will look to bounce back after losing in the third round and the fourth round at Indian Wells and Miami, respectively. Djokovic began his year on a high note, winning 11 of his first 12 matches, and in Monaco he can match Rafael Nadal‘s record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles.
Fast Facts
– Djokovic’s first Monte-Carlo match came in 2006 when he was just 18 against then-World No. 1 Roger Federer. The Serbian showed his talent on his debut in the Principality, pushing Federer to three sets.
– Rafael Nadal won 46 straight matches in Monte-Carlo from 2005-13, but Djokovic brought that streak to an end in the 2013 final, putting on a clinical display to defeat the Spaniard in straight sets and lift his first title at the Masters 1000 tournament.
– Starting in 2008, Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals or better in seven consecutive appearances, with four of his five losses during that span coming against Federer (2) or Nadal (2).
– Djokovic has won two consecutive matches in Monte-Carlo against Nadal. In 2013, he beat the Spaniard in the final and in 2015, he ousted the lefty in the semi-finals.
– Djokovic is the only player to defeat Nadal at all three clay-court Masters 1000 events.
[embedded content]Five Djokovic Stats From Monte-Carlo
First Match: 2006, Roger Federer def. Djokovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
First Title: 2013, Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal 6-1, 7-6(1)
Record: 32-10
Top 10 record: 6-6
6-0 Sets Won: 8
Most Recent Appearance: 2018
Djokovic arrived in Monte-Carlo on a three-match losing streak, his first of that length since 2007. The Serbian, who was 13th in the ATP Rankings at the time, showed good form early with straight-sets victories against Dusan Lajovic and Borna Coric.
But after winning the first set against clay-court stalwart Dominic Thiem, Djokovic could not maintain his level as the Austrian upped his, eventually losing in a three-setter in the Round of 16 after two hours and 29 minutes.
Seed at the 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters: No. 1
Did You Know?
Djokovic has competed in doubles at this Masters 1000 tournament five times, reaching the 2009 semi-finals with countryman Viktor Troicki.
