"Go on my knees, don't think I won a game after that": Novak Djokovic relives crucial point in loss to Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo Masters 2009 final

Novak Djokovic recently relived Rafael Nadal's cross-court winner against him in the 2009 Monte-Carlo Masters final.

Djokovic is currently at Monte-Carlo Country Club eyeing a third title at the Masters 1000 event. He has already advanced to the third round on the back of a 6-1 6-2 win over Roman Safiullin.

The Serb has so far appeared in four finals in Monte-Carlo, meeting Nadal on three of those occasions. The two played their first Monte-Carlo final in 2009, where Djokovic faced a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat.

The World No. 1 recently sat down with Monte-Carlo Masters and watched a nearly 40-shot-long exchange with Nadal in the opening game of the deciding set.

"I remember this point more or less by heart. I'm still at the baseline, still waiting for the right ball, still waiting for the right ball. I come in now, backhand down the line," the Serb said while watching the exchange.

The Spaniard won the crucial point and Djokovic collapsed on the clay in utter disbelief, as the Serb himself recalled:

"I go on my knees and that was pretty much it, I don't think I won a single game after that. And it was only the first game of the third set. But it was a great point. We had some good battles here."

Notably, the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, and Arthur Fils too watched the epic rally.

Nadal defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion once again in a Monte-Carlo Masters final in 2012. But the Serb eventually avenged the losses as he defeated the Spaniard 6-2, 7-6(1) in 2013, thus ending his eight-year tournament-winning streak in Monte-Carlo.

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Novak Djokovic picks 2012 Australian Open final, 2013 Monte-Carlo Masters final, and 2015 French Open QF as most memorable encounters with Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (L) and Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic recently picked his three most memorable battles with Rafael Nadal in their rivalry that has seen a staggering 59 duels thus far.

The Serb picked his 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 triumph over the Spaniard in the Australian Open 2012 final and the aforementioned victory in the Monte-Carlo Masters 2013 final to begin with.

"There are many, but the one that I have to remember the one that I won. Australian Open finals that went almost six hours in 2012. And of course, the first time I won against him on clay here (Monte-Carlo Masters) in Monaco finals 2013," he said.

He then included his 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win over Nadal in the French Open 2015 quarterfinals, saying:

"And the first time I won against him in Roland Garros as well. I think it was 2014 or 15. So, I picked those three. But, you know, I lost way more times against him on clay."

Notably, the Serb maintains a slim 30-29 lead over Nadal in their head-to-head tally. Their most recent encounter came in the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2022.