Djokovic Confirms Number One Status With Wimbeldon Win

Novak Djokovic has cemented his place as the number one tennis player in the world after defeating Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final.

Nadal was attempting to capture his third Wimbledon crown in the last four years, however it was Djokovic who emerged with a 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 victory.

Djokovic took his record for 2011 to 48 wins from 49 matches. He has now won two grand slams in that streak, adding Wimbledon to the Australian Open crown he won earlier in the year.

Nadal was on a twenty match winning streak at Wimbledon and he had not lost a grand slam final since going down to Roger Federer in the 2007 Wimbledon final, however the Spaniard looked like he would be up against it from the outset.

After a tight start to the match, Djokovic broke Nadal at 4-5 in the first set, and suddenly Djokovic found himself one set up against a man who had never beaten in a grand slam.  The second set was a blur, and after a flurry of winners and a couple of service breaks Djokovic was up two sets to love after just 74 minutes.

Djokovic appeared to suffer a lapse in concentration after the second set, with the Serb making a number of unforced errors. Nadal capitalised and ran through the third set 6-1.

Djokovic reasserted himself in the fourth set and consolidated his serve to find himself up 4-3 on serve. Nadal opened the eighth game of the fourth set with a double fault and from there, he slowly lost his grip on the title. He handed Djokovic a break of serve with three unforced errors, and from there Djokovic held serve to become the first Serb to win the Wimbledon crown.

“It’s really hard to describe this with any words except the most special day of my life,” Djokovic said.

“It’s the tennis tournament I dreamt of winning as a child. I think I’m still dreaming.

“I think I’ve played probably my best ever match on the grass courts.

“When you’re playing the best player in the world, Rafael Nadal, who has won two out of the last three Wimbledon’s, I had to be on top of my game.”

Nadal has now lost Djokovic five times this year, however the Spaniard still firmly believes he can match it with the new world number one.

“My experience says this level is not forever. Even for me, when I was last year winning three grand slams, my level is not forever. Probably the level of Novak is today is not forever. I am going to be here, fighting all the time, waiting for my moment,” Nadal said.

“We have to find how I can bother him another time. I did in the past. He’s in the best moment of his career. That’s true too, but I am also in in one of the best moments of my career but it still wasn’t enough to be beat him. I have to play longer, I have to play more aggressive. I have to make less mistakes.”

With the win, Djokovic became the first man outside of Nadal and Federer to claim the Wimbledon crown since Lleyton Hewitt saluted in 2002.

Since guiding Serbia to the Davis Cup late last year Djokovic has won eight titles, two of which were grand slams, and become the world’s top ranked player, losing just one match (French Open semi against Federer) along the way.