Rafael Nadal’s nine-year run at the Monte Carlo Masters saw him win 46 straight matches at the clay court tournament.
The King of Clay won eight straight titles at the Masters event between 2005 and 2012, and he won a further three between 2016 and 2018.
Nadal became the first player to win 10 of the same tournament after winning the Monte Carlo Masters in 2011.
Novak Djokovic became the first player in nine years to defeat Nadal in Monte Carlo in 2013, which brought an end to the longest win streak at a single tournament in history.
How Novak Djokovic reacted to beating Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo
In 2013, Djokovic was about to hit his peak and he found his groove on clay courts by inflicting a rare defeat on Nadal.
Djokovic surprisingly defeated Nadal in straight sets to bring an end to his 46-match unbeaten streak at the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic said: “It’s such a great pleasure to win here, it’s very special. Rafa, thanks for allowing me to win here at least once.
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“I can’t ask for a better start to the clay season. The first six, seven or eight games were unbelievable. It’s the best I can play on clay. This trophy could not come in a better moment.
“It was difficult the last two months. I’ve been through some ups and downs emotionally, physically. But I’m where I want to be.”
With the victory over Nadal, Djokovic became the first player to win singles titles at eight of the nine Masters events.
The Serbian would eventually complete the Career Golden Masters by winning the Cincinnati Open for the first time in 2018.
The five men to defeat Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo
Djokovic bringing an end to Nadal’s incredible dominance at the Monte-Carlo Masters opened up the floodgates for several stars to pick up wins against the Spaniard at the event.
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The Serbian followed up his victory by knocking Nadal out of the competition two years later, this time in the semi-finals.
Players to beat Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo
- Guillermo Coria – 2003
- Novak Djokovic – 2013 & 2015
- David Ferrer – 2014
- Fabio Fognini – 2019
- Andrey Rublev – 2021
During the latter stages of his career, Nadal became a lot more beatable at his once favourite tournament.
His last defeat came against Andrey Rublev in the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals in 2021, just a year before the King of Clay hung up his racket for good.
Nadal also suffered defeats against Guillermo Coria in the early stages of his career, as well as Fabio Fognini and David Ferrer.
