Djokovic Wins in Rome for a Record 36th Masters 1000 Title

Plant-based world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has won the Italian Open, beating Diego Schwartzman 7-5 6-3 in Rome on Monday, September 21 for a record 36th Masters 1000 title.

Djokovic arrived in Rome level with Rafael Nadal on 35. He now stands alone at the top of the list, and it's his fifth title at the Foro Italico. The final took an hour and 53 minutes, and it's his fourth title of 2020, after the Australian Open, Dubai and the Western & Southern Open.

It wasn't straightforward. Schwartzman, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set before Djokovic found his range, reports Tennis Majors. Two weeks after his US Open ended in a default, the Serb was happy with how he responded:

I found my best tennis when I needed it most in every match.

"I couldn't have asked for a better result in Rome. Another big title," he added.

Djokovic doesn't like labels, but he has eaten a plant-based diet for years and talks about it with real pride. Speaking at the Australian Open in January, he told reporters: "I'm very pleased to be plant-based and play at this level." For him it goes beyond what happens on court: "It's more than a performance reason for me, it's a lifestyle, it's something I'm really proud of."

It's been some year. Djokovic won his eighth Australian Open in February, and back in 2018 he became the first man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Last summer he saved two championship points to beat Federer at Wimbledon.

Thirty-six and counting. Powered by plants.