Rafael Nadal is considered to be the undisputed ‘King of Clay’, and one look at his statistics should leave you in no doubt.
One of his most impressive records is at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he has won 11 titles – including eight in a row – and 76 matches, with just six losses.
Here, we take an in-depth look at his runs to the litany of titles.
2005
Nadal arrived at the 2005 edition of the Monte Carlo Masters as the world No 17 and came off the back of a heartbreaking five-set final loss to Roger Federer in Miami.
However, aged just 18, the Spaniard wasn’t going to let that get in his way and began the tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Gael Monfils.
Nadal then took out two Belgian players in the second and third round with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Xavier Malisse and a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Olivier Rochus, respectively.
In the last eight, the future 22-time Grand Slam champion came up against Gaston Gaudio who had won Roland Garros the year prior. Despite this, the teenager, once again, cruised through 6-3, 6-0.
Qualifier Richard Gasquet, who had beaten Federer in the round prior, would prove a far tougher hurdle for Nadal to jump over. The Frenchman claimed the first set 7-6(6) before a stunning around-the-net backhand from the Spaniard saved a crucial break point in the second set. The second set would fall 6-4 in Nadal’s favour, before claiming the deciding-set 6-3.
In the showpiece match against Guillermo Coria, a rollercoaster encounter would ensue, with the Grand Slam champion claiming the first two sets 6-3, 6-1, before tightening up to lose the third set 6-0. Nadal would squeak out a 7-5 fourth set, falling to his back in celebration to claim his first Masters 1000 event.
2006
By 2006, Nadal had claimed multiple Masters 1000 titles and was the reigning Roland Garros champion.
Now ranked as the world No 2, the Spaniard had his own half of the draw.
En route to the last four, Nadal defeated Arnaud Clement, Jean-Rene Lisnard, Kristof Vliegen, and, again Coria – all in convincing straight-sets wins.
In the semi-finals, Gaudio would put up a much tougher fight by taking the first set 7-5, before Nadal turned on the afterburners to take the second and third sets 6-1.
World No 1 Federer awaited in the final, a rematch of their clay-court semi-final at Roland Garros the previous year. Again, the Swiss would fall in four sets – 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(5) – with Nadal lifting the trophy for a second time.
2007
Juan Ignacio Chela would be the Spaniard’s first victim at this edition, defeated 6-3, 6-1, before Nadal was victorious over Vliegen by the same score.
The world No 2 then gained a win over qualifier Philip Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals and against 10th seed Tomas Berdych – 6-7, 7-5.
It would be a repeat of the previous year’s year, now with a best-of-three set format.
Both Nadal and Federer had firmly established themselves as the world’s two best players, but the Swiss remained answerless for the clay-court master – who was victorious 6-4, 6-4, becoming just the fourth man to win the event on three or more occasions.
2008
On a 12-set winning streak in the principality, Nadal looked to continue the run against serve-and-volleyer Mario Ancic and did so in impressive fashion by winning 6-0, 6-3.
Over the next two matches, he defeated former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer in straight-sets.
Nikolay Davydenko was Nadal’s semi-final opponent, with the Russian having defeated the three-time Monte Carlo champion in the Miami final less than two weeks prior.
The Spaniard would not be denied twice, booking a spot in the showpiece match with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
If the Monte Carlo crowd wanted to see a new final, they would have to wait for another year, with Federer also making the final for a third year in a row.
Whilst it would be a closer affair than in 2007, with Federer leading by 4-0 in the second set, Nadal would win 7-5, 7-5 and lift the trophy for a record fourth time.
2009
For the first time, Nadal would arrive at the tournament ranked as the world No 1 – having won three of the last four Grand Slam titles, beating Federer in each final.
The Spaniard overpowered Chela, Nicolas Lapentti, and Ivan Ljubicic in straight sets to reach the last four once again.
Brit Andy Murray, who had reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2008 US Open, was firmly on the rise, but couldn’t quite outmatch Nadal – falling 6-2, 7-6(4).
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic would break the Nadal-Federer final monopoly, reaching the showpiece match and giving Nadal one of his toughest Monte Carlo fights. Ultimately, despite the physical battle, the Spaniard came out on top again, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
2010
If five consecutive titles were not impressive enough, the 2010 edition would be Nadal’s most dominant run.
He would drop just eight games en route to the semi-finals, including two 6-0 sets.
In the semi-finals, the Spaniard would defeat fellow countryman David Ferrer 6-2, 6-3, before dominating Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-1 in the final with – arguably – his best-ever Monte Carlo performance.
2011
At the next year’s edition, despite a dominant 2010 season, Nadal’s lead at the top of the rankings was slowly coming to an end to the insurgent Djokovic.
After the physical Sunshine Double, the Serb withdrew from Monte Carlo – leaving the door open for the 6-time champion.
Nadal defeated Jarkko Nieminen, Gasquet, and Ljubici to reach the semi-finals – again, all without losing a set.
Murray would end the Spaniard’s 18-set win streak, despite a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 loss.
Veteran Ferrer awaited in the final, with Nadal once again prevailing 6-4, 7-5.
2012
In the quarter-final and the semi-final, Nadal defeated future Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Simon in straight-sets.
Djokovic came into the final with eight-consecutive match victories over Nadal, including two on clay and three Grand Slam final victories.
Despite the losing streak, the Spaniard – once again – put on a standout performance when it mattered most, finishing the 6-3, 6-1 match with an ace to make it 8 Monte Carlo titles in a row.
2016
Four years after his last victory, Nadal was, slowly, but surely, regaining more impressive form.
On his beloved surface, he battled through Aljaz Bedene, Dominic Thiem, and Stan Wawrinka in straight-sets to reach the last four once again.
Murray got off to a flying start in the first set of the semi-final, taking it 6-2 against a struggling Nadal, but – in typical fashion – the Spaniard fought back to win the second and third sets 6-4, 6-2, respectively.
The final against Gael Monfils was a hard-fought one, with Nadal, eventually, hitting a signature running forehand down the line winner to clinch the deciding set 6-0 to lift his first Masters 1000 title in nearly 24 months.
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2017
Nadal would drop a set to Kyle Edmund in his opening match, but went on to steamroll the rest of the competition.
In the quarter-finals, the 22-time Grand Slam champion defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, hitting one of the shots of the year in the second set.
Despite some line-call controversy, he also defeated David Goffin 6-3, 6-1, and, in the final, Alberto Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3.
The Spaniard became the first man in the Open Era to win 10 titles at the same event.
2018
At 31-years-old, Nadal looked in his typical clay-court form and was in the midst of what would be a record 50 consecutive sets won on the surface.
The Spaniard defeated Bedene 6-1, 6-3, Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2, Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2, and Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1 en route to the final.
In the final, which would be his last at the event, he overcame in-form Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to lift his 11th Monte Carlo title.