to capitalize when it mattered most in 2013, falling to Nadal in the French Open semifinals and the United States Open final. But after losing the No. 1 ranking to Nadal last fall, Djokovic has struck back convincingly. Nadal still rules the rankings, but Djokovic is on the bigger roll.

He has won their last three matches, all in straight sets, and has narrowed the gap in their head-to-head record, which is now 22-18 in Nadal’s favor.

Sunday’s victory gave Djokovic his fourth title in Key Biscayne and also allowed him to sweep the March hardcourt swing in the United States after beating Roger Federer in the final in Indian Wells.

The last three times a man has completed that double, he has finished the year ranked No. 1: Federer inremains to be proved in Paris, but Djokovic has already proved himself on hardcourts, winning 14 of their 21 matches on the surface.

On Sunday, he was much tighter to the baseline and able to control the majority of the rallies and keep Nadal off balance. It was a day when he was the puncher and Nadal the counterpuncher, and it was also a day when Djokovic often chose to drill into the left-handed Nadal’s bedrock, attacking his bolo whip of a forehand.

“Obviously, his forehand is his strength,” Djokovic said. “He runs around his backhand, so he opens the court for his opponent on the forehand side, but I had to play it very precise and deep.”

From Nadal’s perspective, it all came too easily. Though he said he was