Everybody knows how good Novak Djokovic has been in 2011. The Serbian has been nothing short of incredible so far, going unbeaten in 37 matches and recently defeating Rafael Nadal not once but twice on his favourite surface.
To put this run is some context, it is worth noting that Djokovic has already qualified for the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals which take place at the O2 in London in November.
Those who bet with paypal should note that he has become only the second man ever to qualify for the tournament, which features the World’s top eight players, before the French Open. Nadal was the first man to achieve this feat back in 2009.
Djokovic could actually lose every match between now and November and still be included in the finals, a testament to what he has achieved in 2011 so far.
With wins at the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and most recently Rome, he has won more tournaments in five months than many players win in their career.
What does he put this success down to though? He has been one of the best players in the world for the last couple of years, but what has turned him into the ruthless winner that he is today?
Well, speaking about the turning point for him, he goes back to the Davis Cup win with Serbia last year. He believes this was where his good form started and where he gained belief that he could conquer world tennis.
The 23-year-old said: “Everything started from the Davis Cup. I was winning major events before but I didn’t have this consistency or the right mental approach against the big players.”
“The Davis Cup gave me incredible energy and I’m definitely not thinking about losing matches, I’m just thinking about winning.”
With the French Open around the corner, he isn’t likely to put a stop to this attitude anytime soon. Nadal is known as the King of Clay and it arguably takes something extraordinary to defeat him at Roland Garros, but what Djokovic is doing right now is on the highest level of extraordinary.
He has already defeated the Spaniard on clay twice this year, so why not again at the second major of the year later this month?
Djokovic has had an incredible year regardless of what happens in France, but if he does make it hat-trick of wins over Nadal, it could get even better as he continues his rise to the top of the world rankings.