After losing the first two sets 6-7(6), 2-6, the Serb left the Court Philippe-Chatrier for a break and returned a changed player as he downed fifth-seed Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his second title
Djokovic has won the first two majors of the year, and at Wimbledon he'll have a chance to match the men's record of 20 Grand Slam titles shared by Nadal and Roger Federer
Nadal, who went into the match with 105-2 (win-loss) record and with a 7-1 record against the Serb, was the outright favourite to win the match and set up a final clash with Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. For, he had lost only one set in this year's tournament
Djokovic overcame a cut in his left hand that saw his racquet dripping with blood immediately after the crowd had been cleared from the stands in the fourth set due to 11pm night curfew in Paris.
The victory gave second seeded Nadal the 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown, equalling top seeded Djokovic's all-time record, since the series was established in 1990.
Djokovic fought back from breaks of his serve in each of the final two sets to reach his eighth consecutive semifinal at the Foro Italico where he has lifted the trophy five times, most recently last September
World number one Djokovic, playing in his first tournament since winning a ninth Australian Open in February, suffered his first defeat of 2021 on Thursday, DPA reported.
Dear fans, I'm very sorry to announce that this year I won't travel to Miami to compete. I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family. With all restrictions, I need to find balance in my time on tour and at home.