Novak Djokovic claimed his maiden Wimbledon title and rose to ATP world No.1 on the same afternoon, defeating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the 2011 final. The victory ended Nadal’s 20-match winning streak at the All England Club and stretched Djokovic’s season record to a commanding 48-1.
Four sets, one turning point
Neither man misplayed a ball through the first eight games. Serving at 4-5, Nadal pushed a forehand into the net to offer the first break point of the match, and Djokovic converted on another forehand error to take the set.
Djokovic sharpened further in the second, retrieving apparent winners and returning them with added pace. Two service breaks and 33 minutes later he led two sets to none. Nadal exploited a careless third set, but his resurgence stalled early in the fourth.
With a chance to break in the opening game, Nadal badly over-hit a forehand passing shot. He double-faulted to open the eighth game and blasted a backhand long, handing Djokovic the break. The Serb closed with a huge serve and a winning volley to set up match point.
A distant third no longer
Djokovic had already clinched the top ranking by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals, but beating the man he replaced made the ascent complete. He had begun 2011 more than 6,000 points behind Nadal, then ripped through a 41-0 start until Federer halted the run in Paris.
This was his third Grand Slam and a fifth straight win over Nadal — the first time any player had beaten the Majorcan five times in a row. “I managed to achieve a lifetime goal and make my dream come true, all in three days’ time,” Djokovic told reporters afterwards.
The blade of grass
After Nadal’s final backhand sailed wide, Djokovic plucked a blade from the patchy Centre Court lawn and ate it. He would hold No.1 for 53 weeks in that first stint and go on to win seven Wimbledon titles.
Nadal, standing as the defeated champion, gave his own verdict: “He is the best player of the moment — the best player of the world tomorrow.” Djokovic never looked back from that Sunday.
