"Wanted that trophy badly all my life": When Novak Djokovic turned emotional over ending Rafael Nadal's 8-year win streak to bag 1st Monte-Carlo title

Novak Djokovic once opened up about his animated reaction to winning his first Monte-Carlo Masters title. The Serb snapped Rafael Nadal's remarkable eight-year winning streak at the ATP Masters 1000 event to clinch the trophy he had been in pursuit of for years.

After falling short in two previous Monte-Carlo Masters finals, Djokovic was a man on a mission as he made a stellar run to the final in 2013. In the title clash, he came up against Nadal, who had won every edition of the tournament from 2005 to 2012.

Despite the odds being stacked against him, the Serb delivered an impressive performance to claim a 6-2, 7-6(1) victory, which ended Nadal's 46-match win streak at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The significance of the victory was immediately evident, as an emotional Djokovic let out a loud roar to celebrate his triumph.

In his post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic explained that his emotional reaction stemmed from the joy of overcoming his ankle injury and finally triumphing at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He also admitted that the victory was extra special because he resided in Monaco, along with his wife Jelena.

"I think anybody who saw my expression in the end saw that it was a very emotional win for the reasons I gave you already, living here, what I've been through in the last two weeks. It's a very joyful moment for me," he said.

"I wanted that trophy badly all my life, especially in last six, seven years that I've been spending my time and living here between the tournaments in Monaco. This is a great confidence boost before the rest of the clay court season, definitely," he added.

Although the Serb asserted that he had received a "confidence boost" for the rest of the clay season from his triumph in Monaco, he failed to make a mark at the Madrid Open and the Italian Open. However, Djokovic did reach the semifinals of the French Open, where he suffered a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 9-7 loss to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic on winning maiden Monte-Carlo Masters title: "Rafael Nadal allowed me to win it once, and I'm very thrilled"

Rafael Nadal and the Serb after the Monte-Carlo Masters final - Source: Getty

During the same press conference, Novak Djokovic joked about being delighted that Rafael Nadal had finally "allowed" him to triumph at the Monte-Carlo Masters after monopolizing the trophy for eight straight years.

"Well, he allowed me to win it once, and I'm very thrilled for that. He won it eight times in a row, so he's been saying how much he loves and enjoys this tournament. On the other hand I do, too. It was a third lucky time for me," he said.

Despite his big win in 2013, the Serb failed to defend his title at the Masters 1000 event the following year, as Roger Federer claimed a 7-5, 6-2 win in their semifinal clash.

However, Djokovic bounced back strongly at the 2015 Monte-Carlo Masters, beating Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals before emerging victorious against Tomas Berdych 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in the title clash.