I 2010 satte Nadal en utrolig rekrod. Som den første i tennishistorien vandt alle tre ATP World Tour Masters 1000 og til sidst Roland Garros i samme sæson.
Nadal siger til ATP: “That’s a once in a lifetime [achievement] to win every tournament on clay. Nobody else has done it in history, only myself last year. So it’s difficult to imagine two years in a row [I] can repeat that,” said the Spaniard.
Skuffelsen over nederlaget til Djokovic har lagt sig: “For me, [I am] seriously happy about how I’m playing, happy about my level of this tournament,” said the left-hander. “Normally when I play well on clay I have a little bit more advantage, so let’s see what’s going on week in Monte Carlo.”
Nadal har en 34-1 rekord i turneringen i Monte-Carlo Country Club og har vundet de sidste seks år i træk.
“Hopefully I [am] going to be playing well this tournament. This is important confidence for me. Let’s try my best in Monte Carlo. First tournament of clay is always important. But it’s not going to be perfect. I’m not going to win ten times in a row Monte Carlo. That’s sure. I won six in a row. I am going to try my best for the seventh, but I know how difficult is every tournament.”
Det bliver en stor mundfuld for Djokovic at fortsætte sejrsstimen.