Top-ranked men's tennis star Novak Djokovic improved to 28-1 on the year with his straight sets win over sixth-ranked Kei Nishikori 6-3,6-3 in the Miami Open Finals.
Djokovic won his 28th ATP Masters title, putting him ahead of Rafael Nadal for the all-time record. It was Djokovic's sixth straight win over the Japanese tennis star, and it was dominant performance that put him in the company of all-time great Andre Agassi as the only two men to win six titles at Key Biscayne.
"I have a very special connection to this tournament," Djokovic said following the win. "In 2007 it was the biggest title I had won in my career. It has been a springboard for everything coming after that. I certainly hope that love affair continues in the years to come."
Djokovic passed Roger Federer as the all-time prize money leader with $98 million in on-court earnings, and he doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon, with the gap between him and second-ranked Andy Murray only seeming to grow larger. His win Sunday earned him $1,028,300, making his total career prize money valued at $98.2 million.
Djokovic and women's tennis star Victoria Azarenka, who won the women's singles tournament at the Miami Open on Saturday, have taken over the tennis world so far in 2016 and are off to incredible starts this year. Despite Djokovic's domination on the court on Sunday, Nishikori shouldn't be forgotten in this tournament, as he played some masterful tennis on the way to the Miami Open Finals.
"It's always tough to play Novak," Nishikori said. "I thought I wasn't playing too bad, but at the same time he played great tennis. He was very patient and he didn't miss." The Miami Open lost a bunch of its men's singles tennis stars in the early rounds of the tournament either in upsets or due to health reasons, but one thing seems clear, which is that Djokovic is here to stay as the best tennis player in the world, as no one seems close to catching him.
Djokovic already has 11 Grand Slam singles titles and is looking to get ready for the clay-court season, as the French Open is the only Major that has eluded the world's top player. "I have lots of motivation for the beginning of the clay-court season that ends up hopefully with the crown in Paris," Djokovic said. "But I'm not the only one who wants to win that big trophy."