Nadal had lost only one of his previous 66 matches at Roland Garros, to Robin Soderling in 2009, with Djokovic beaten on the Paris clay by the Spaniard on five occasions.

That included the final in 2012 and the semi-finals last year, but Djokovic has been getting closer, pushing Nadal to 9-7 in the fifth set 12 months ago in a match he probably should have won.

The Serbian had also won his last four matches against Nadal, most recently in the final in Rome just before the tournament.

He had started the fortnight as the favourite but that changed after the semi-finals on Friday, when Nadal crushed Andy Murray and Djokovic struggled against Ernests Gulbis.

He was unable to explain a sudden feeling of fatigue in the third set but was sharp from the start in the final while Nadal was not able to hit his forehand with the same ferocity as he had against Murray.

Djokovic’s game matches up better against Nadal than anyone else’s and it was he who struck first with a break for 5-3.

Nadal saved two break points, the first with a trademark curling forehand onto the line, but Djokovic showed his forehand down the line was pretty good, too, to bring up a third chance and this time his opponent just missed with an off forehand.

It was the first time Djokovic had won the opening set against Nadal at Roland Garros.

The Spaniard had lost the opener twice in his previous eight finals but not since his first two appearances in 2005 and 2006.

This has been Nadal’s least dominant season on clay, the 28-year-old losing three matches in the build-up to the French Open for the first time in a decade.

He struggled to get over the blow of a back injury striking him down in the Australian Open final against Stan Wawrinka in January and, after losing to David Ferrer in Monte Carlo, said he had lost some of his “inside power”.

All those doubts seemed to have been buried by his form against Murray but what was at stake was clearly getting to both men.

Nadal did strike first in the second set with a break for 4-2.

He thought he had taken his first break point with a backhand on to the baseline but umpire Pascal Maria, who Nadal criticised earlier in the tournament, decided it was out.

On his second chance Djokovic netted but the world number one then handed the initiative right back with another wayward forehand.

He had a chance to make it three breaks in a row only to miscue a backhand, but when two set points arrived in the 12th game, Nadal took the first with a forehand winner to take it 7-5 and level the match.

The start of the third set was huge for Djokovic but he could not stop Nadal's momentum, netting a routine backhand volley to trail 2-0.

That quickly became 3-0 and Djokovic, who was beginning to look extremely weary in the heat, slumped into his chair at the change of ends.

He stopped the rot at five games by holding serve, and then had a chance to get back on serve but dumped a limp backhand well wide.

Djokovic was at least right back in the match now and hurled his racquet to the clay in fury when he missed a backhand at 4-2 that would have given him a break point.

He did eventually force a chance in the longest game of the match but Nadal saved it expertly and then clinched the set 6-2 in the next game when Djokovic drove a forehand long.

Djokovic had lost the third set easily in last year's semi-final before fighting back but he did not look like he had too much left.

And Nadal moved closer to the title with a break for 4-2 when Djokovic pulled a backhand wide trying desperately to send the ball beyond the reach of his opponent.

But just when his chances looked to be over, Djokovic hit back, a pinpoint return forcing Nadal into the error.

The Serbian pressed hard for another break but Nadal held on, beating his chest as he moved to within one game of victory.

And that was all he needed, Djokovic placing a forehand long to give up a match point and then serving a double fault after three hours and 31 minutes, just as he had in losing his first French Open final to Nadal two years ago.