Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal: Highlights, Comments, Stats and Prize Money

Two of the heavyweights in the tennis world were going at in the Australian Open men's championship match on Sunday, and a 12-round decision was expected because Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were at the top of their games.

However, fans at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne and the millions watching on television around the world saw an early-round knockout, as Djokovic blasted his way to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Djokovic is on a powerful roll following the elbow surgery he had a year ago. He has won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and now the Australian Open consecutively. The 31-year-old Serb has won 15 Grand Slam titles in his career, and he trails only Roger Federer (20) and Nadal (17) on the all-time list.

The victory broke Djokovic's tie with 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras.

Djokovic and Nadal have had had many battles in their careers, and Djokovic has taken charge in the rivalry by winning 13 of the past 16 matches. However, the overall count is still close, with Djokovic holding a 28-25 edge.

The Serbian superstar also holds a 25-22 edge over Federer and a 25-11 margin over Andy Murray.

Djokovic set the tone for the match by breaking Nadal in his first service game. He played flawless tennis throughout, with 34 winners and just nine unforced errors. Nadal came into the title round without having lost a set in any of his previous matches.

Kin Cheung/Associated Press

The two men competed against each other in the 2012 Australian Open final, which Djokovic won a five-set match in five hours, 53 minutes. That remains the longest Grand Slam final in history.

It was expected that this year's final could also go five sets, but Djokovic is simply playing at too high a level at this point.

He is playing his best tennis even though he had elbow surgery nearly a year ago. Djokovic sounded quite surprised at how well he is playing after he completed the victory over Nadal.

"I'm trying to contemplate on the journey in the past 12 months," Djokovic said, per Jonathan Jurejko of BBC Sport. "I had surgery exactly 12 months ago.

"To be standing now here, in front of you today, managing to win this title and three of the four Slams, is truly amazing."

Nadal's time may be coming, because the next Grand Slam on the schedule is the French Open in the spring. The Spaniard has dominated on the red clay of Paris, having won 11 titles there throughout his career.

"I believe I played a good two weeks of tennis, and it is a great energy and inspiration for what is coming," Nadal said, per Jurejko. "I will keep fighting and keep practicing to give myself better chances in the future."

Djokovic earned slightly more than $2.9 million (USD) for his victory, while Nadal took home $1.5 million for finishing second. Semifinal participants earned around $662,000 each, while quarterfinalists received just under $331,000. 

This is Djokovic's third winning streak of three straight Grand Slam titles. Federer and Rod Laver each accomplished that feat twice in their careers.

The French Open will be a major challenge for Djokovic since clay is Nadal's preferred surface, but he is playing well enough to give himself an excellent chance to win.