MADRID — Delighted world No. 1 Novak Djokovic said he was back to his best after winning a third Madrid Open title on Sunday, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4.

Djokovic’s victory was also a record-equaling 33rd Masters 1000 title for the Serbian, drawing him level with great rival Rafa Nadal at the top of the all-time list.

"I wasn't playing my best tennis after the Australian Open so I was looking to regain momentum," Djokovic told reporters.

"I played some of my best tennis here, it's a big win obviously for me today and in this tournament. I'm really looking forward to continuing this streak in Rome (at the Italian Open)."

"He's very talented, he beat Rafa yesterday, he had a late night and he wasn't as dynamic in his movement and that was probably due to his long match."

The Greek eighth seed rarely threatened to re-produce the stunning display he had conjured up on Saturday when he knocked out home favorite Nadal, and 15-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was in command throughout as he continued his impressive French Open preparations.

He had not dropped a service game all week in Madrid and raced into a 3-0 lead as he broke his opponent’s first service game under blue skies and soaring temperatures in the Spanish capital, with his trademark backhand down the line causing Tsitsipas problems throughout.

Tsitsipas, who is enjoying a breakthrough season, rallied in the second set with the backing of the crowd but Djokovic broke in the ninth game to go 5-4 up, before serving out the match.

In just one week, Novak Djokovic has gone from searching for form to making history.

"These are the best tournaments, biggest tournaments we have in our sport, in the ATP, of course alongside the Grand Slams," Djokovic said on court after his win. "This is as important and as good as it gets."

"I'm very pleased. I was saying after yesterday's semifinal win that it was a very, very important win for me for my confidence. I wasn't playing my best tennis after Australia so I was looking to regain the momentum this week. I started off well. I didn't drop a set the entire tournament, so I'm very pleased. I played some of my best tennis here."

Djokovic put immediate pressure on the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion, earning two break points in Tsitsipas’ first service game. Although the eighth seed staved off the Serbian’s first opportunity with an inside-out forehand winner, Tsitsipas missed an inside-in forehand approach shot long to give the top seed the early break.

That set the tone for the match, and Djokovic never cracked in his one-hour, 30-minute victory.

Djokovic will lead World No. 2 Nadal by 4,170 points when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday. And since Nadal has 2,280 more points than Djokovic to defend at Rome and Roland Garros, the Serbian has a firm hold on the top spot as he gets set to pursue a record 34th Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Tsitsipas made a concerted effort early on to use his drop shot against the World No. 1, doing his best to keep the top seed off balance. But Djokovic was locked in from the baseline, neutralizing the Greek’s serve to immediately get himself to neutral in rallies, even when returning.

Djokovic earned two break chances to take an early lead in the second set, but he uncharacteristically missed a forehand return long and then sailed a backhand long mid-rally on his second chance. While Tsitsipas did well to hold serve his next few service games, Djokovic found his best when it mattered most.

At 4-4, 15/30 in the second set, Djokovic threw a lob high into the Madrid sky, somehow landing it near the baseline, before hitting a Tsitsipas overhead for a backhand winner to give him two more break points. This time the top seed did not make a mistake, using a Tsitsipas error to break before serving out the match, finishing it off with a forehand approach shot for a winner.

"He deserved the victory, he played unbelievable. I couldn't do much," Tsitsipas said. "Physically I was not there. My legs were not coping with my mind. Completely I could feel the fatigue and this soreness, not just in my legs, but everywhere in my body. And yes, he played quite smart. He tried moving me around the court. He knew I had a tough match last night, so he took advantage of that knowing that he's going to have to make me run and suffer more and I just didn't have solutions." — Agencies