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Nadal, 34, beat the Serb 7-5 1-6 6-3 to claim a
record-extending 10th ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome and felt
his game improved through the week.
Nadal, who suffered quarter-final exits at Masters 1000 events
in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, said he would rest for a couple of
days back home before heading to Paris for his title defence.
"I think I can work in a couple of things that I can do a little
bit better or I can keep confirming that I am on the way," he
told reporters on Sunday.
"I think I have been improving this week, but I need to keep
going with that improvement, because when you improve and you're
able to do it every day for longer time, then you feel more
confident and more safe.
"So I just need to keep going. I know what I need to work (on)
for the next couple of weeks, and I (am) going to do it."
Victory in Rome saw Nadal equal Djokovic's tally of 36 ATP
Masters 1000 trophies but it was not all plain sailing, the
Spaniard having to save two match points against Canadian Denis
Shapovalov in the third round.
"The 10th, I really wanted this 10th here in Rome. It was one of
the first important titles that I won in my career," Nadal said.
"After achieving 10 in Roland Garros, 10 in Monte-Carlo, 10 in
Barcelona, I really wanted this one.
"I went through a lot of things during the week. Some positive,
some great moments, some lucky moments, suffering moments. At
the end I think I played a very solid week of tennis, it's the
right moment to win an important title."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Berhampore, India; editing by
Peter Rutherford)
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