The Greatest Season in Tennis History

In 2010, Novak Djokovic was the third wheel. Mocked for retiring from matches. Accused of faking injuries. A one Slam talent who couldn't breathe in the heat and couldn't get past Federer and Nadal when it mattered. Then he changed one thing. And what followed was, by many accounts, the greatest single season in the history of tennis. This is the story of Novak Djokovic's 2011 season, told through the voices of the players, legends, and rivals who watched it happen. From the gluten diagnosis that transformed his body, to the 41 match winning streak, to beating Rafael Nadal in six straight finals across three surfaces, to the forehand return against Federer that still gets replayed today. This is how the joke of the tour became the most dominant player the sport had ever seen. Rafael Nadal, who lost six finals to him that year, called it the highest level of tennis he had ever seen. John McEnroe called it the greatest year in the history of the sport. Pete Sampras called it the best he had seen in his lifetime. 0:00 Intro 1:18 The Third Wheel 2:35 The Change 5:03 The Streak 6:45 The Conquest of Clay 7:58 Two Kings One Djokovic DJOKOVIC'S 2011 SEASON BY THE NUMBERS 70 wins, 6 losses (a 92% win rate) 10 titles, including 3 of the 4 Grand Slams Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open champion A then record 5 Masters 1000 titles in a single season A 41-match winning streak to start the year 10–1 combined record against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal 6–0 against Nadal in finals, across hard court, clay, and grass First man to beat Nadal in a clay final at Madrid AND Rome, back to back, both in straight sets Beat Nadal on clay for the first time ever after 9 straight losses Rose to World No. 1 for the first time on July 4, 2011 21-4 against the top 10; 13-3 against the top 5 A then record $12.6 million in single-season prize money ATP Player of the Year and ITF World Champion Want To Help Support The Channel?: @a.c.e.v.x