WATCH: Novak Djokovic stuns himself with 40th Masters crown in Paris

Novak Djokovic was in disbelief as he lifted the Paris Masters trophy for the seventh time to also claim his 40th Masters title.

Following three tight matches to get to the Paris Masters final,  Djokovic cut a simpler route to triumph on Sunday, defeating Grigor Dimitrov relative ease to win an unprecedented seventh championship at Bercy.

Djokovic became the first player to win 40 Masters 1000 titles with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, showcasing his characteristic toughness throughout. A single break in each set was enough for Djokovic to complete a 98-minute triumph, as Dimitrov had little opportunity to muster the level he had displayed on route to the title match due to the Serbian’s consistency from the baseline.

“[It’s] incredible. To be able to win it after quite challenging circumstances for me this week,” said Djokovic. “Basically, coming back from the brink of losing three matches in a row, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was very close to losing those matches and somehow managed to find an extra gear when it was needed.

“Today, I think we both were quite tight at the beginning, and I could see that he was running out of gas a little bit. Myself as well, but I somehow managed to find an extra shot over the net. I think the match was closer than the scoreline indicates, but another amazing win for me. I’m very proud of this one, considering g what I’ve been through this week.”

With the victory, World No 1 Djokovic, who has won 18 straight matches since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, will now go into the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals with that streak intact.

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It is now looks like a distinct possibility that Djokovic will claim the status of ATP Year-End No 1 for a record-tying eighth time after raising the Paris trophy to give him a 1490-point advantage over Alcaraz in the rankings.

Djokovic rebounded from a stomach complaint that he rather candidly revealed had left him spending more time on the loo than on the court.

“I’ve been struggling the last couple of days with my stomach and I just didn’t feel myself at all,” said Djokovic after defeating Tallon Griekspoor in the last 16.

“It’s hard to have a clear mind when you spent more time on the toilet seat than on the court the last three days.

“The energy levels were very low the last few days and I’m taking it day by day. Today is probably the worst day so I’m just hoping that tomorrow will be better, that the curve will start going in the right direction for me.”

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