10 Reasons Novak Djokovic Is Destined to Sweep 2012 Grand Slams

Novak Djokovic is ready to embark on an incredible season. Without a doubt, Djokovic is the best player in the world today.

Djoker will use 2012 to solidify himself as one of the best players of this generation. He is coming off a great year and he is ready to make 2012 even better.

He won three Grand Slams last year, and the only way to improve on that is to win four Grand Slams. In all honesty, Djokovic is more than capable of doing just that.

Accordingly, I have compiled a list of 10 reasons why Djokovic will sweep all four Grand Slams this year.

He Is the Best Player in the World Right Now

No matter how you look at it, Novak Djokovic is the best player in the world right now.

Considering that, each tournament is Djokovic's to lose.

Obviously, things can change over the course of one year. At this point, though, Djoker is second-to-none.

He is the favorite in the Australian Open. If he can start his year off with a Grand Slam victory, only good things will come from it.

Everyone knows he's the best in the world. Djokovic simply needs to play like it. If he plays how he's capable of playing, Djoker will lock up all the Grand Slams this year.

Rafael Nadal Can't Seem to Beat Him

Rafael Nadal is one of the few players that can beat Novak Djokovic. However, Nadal hasn't proven that in awhile.

In 2011, the two met in six different tournament finals (two Grand Slams). Djoker won all six.

Nadal used to own this rivalry (16-7 vs. Djokovic before last year), but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. While he is still one of the top players in the world, Nadal can't seem to figure out Djokovic.

It's a long year, and the two haven't met at Roland Garros (where Nadal has won six career Grand Slams) since 2008. If they meet there this year, Nadal could knock Djokovic off.

That said, Nadal hasn't done anything to prove that he is better than Djoker. Accordingly, don't expect him to prevent a Djokovic Grand Slam sweep.

He Is Re-Focused

Djokovic is starting 2012 with a focused attitude.

He didn't play well at the ATP World Tour Finals, winning only one match. In fact, after his win at the U.S. Open, Djoker went only 6-5 to finish out the year.

That certainly doesn't sound like the best player in the world, does it?

With some time off, Djokovic was able to gather himself, figure out his issues (injuries, disappointing play etc) and re-focus. Now he is ready to win some Grand Slams.

He started out his Australian Open title defense by destroying Paolo Lorenzi (6-2, 6-0, 6-0). The whole year won't be that easy, but that match could be a sign of things to come.

With this new focus, Djoker will be extremely tough to beat.

Roger Federer Isn't the Player He Once Was

Heading into 2011, Novak Djokovic was 6-13 vs. Roger Federer. Last year, Djokovic won four of the five matches the two played.

Now Djoker is the better player in the rivalry. While Federer defeated Djokovic at the French Open, Djoker owned each of their other matches, excep for their U.S. Open clash.

After two sets, it appeared that Federer would embarrass Djokovic. However, things did not turn out that way.

Djokovic fought back and in the fifth set, he faced double match point. With the crowd cheering Federer on (and Djokovic looking angrier than I've ever seen him), Djokovic hit one of the greatest shots in tennis history.

Djoker went on to win the match and many people believed he could finally claim that he was better than Federer.

In December, Djokovic dismantled Federer at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (an exhibition), proving that Djoker has officially surpassed Federer.

He Is Coming off a Great Year

Although he did not finish 2011 well, Novak Djokovic is coming off a career year.

He won three Grand Slams but lost in the semifinal at the French Open. Rafael Nadal made it to three Grand Slam finals, but he fell to Djokovic in two of them (he defeated Roger Federer at the French Open).

Essentially, Djoker nearly swept the Grand Slams last year. Who's to say he won't do it this year?

Obviously, there will be a bigger target on his back, but he knows how to respond to pressure. He plays well when it matters most and he knows how great this year could be for him.

Building off the momentum from last year's Grand Slams, Djokovic puts himself in a good position to sweep this year's Grand Slams.

Andy Murray Isn't Quite Good Enough

Many people believe that Andy Murray will use the 2012 Australian Open to solidify himself as the next big thing. He isn't quite there yet.

While Murray is an extremely talented player, he doesn't have what it takes to defeat Novak Djokovic. Murray may be better than Roger Federer at this point, but I wouldn't put him higher than third in the world.

Djokovic's breakout year came when he turned 24 (three Grand Slams). Federer's occurred when he turned 23 (three). Nadal's happened when he turned 22 (two).

Murray will turn 25 in May, meaning his breakout could be right around the corner. Don't count on it quite yet, though.

Murray is very good. However, he isn't quite great. And to beat Djokovic, you need to be great. Murray is at least one more year away from becoming the top player in the world.

No Competition Outside of the Top 4

Outside of the other top four players (Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray), Novak Djokovic has no real competition.

David Ferrer is turning 30 in April and he won't provide much of a resistance if Djoker must face him at some point. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is No. 6 and he's only been to one Grand Slam final (where Djokovic destroyed him).

No one else in the top 10 is much to write home about. Without that extra competition, Djokovic will be able to cruise through Grand Slams to the semifinals. Once he's there, he will be able to play his best because he won't have to until then.

Without a deep field, there is no reason to believe Djokovic will lose a Grand Slam.

He Nearly Swept Last Year's Grand Slams

If it weren't for Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic could've swept last year's Grand Slams.

He won three of the four, losing in the semifinal at the French Open. Had Djoker won that match, he could've swept the slams last year.

Instead, he has that as his goal for this year. He must go one Grand Slam at a time, but it's extremely possible.

Considering Djokovic was so close last year, don't be surprised if he sweeps the Grand Slams this year.

He Is Mentally Tough

Novak Djokovic is known for his easy-going demeanor and his competitive spirit. One thing that isn't always mentioned is his mental toughness.

Djokovic balances his competitiveness with his joking persona extremely well. With that balance, he is able to overcome adversity.

Whether it's dropping an early set or losing his serve, Djokovic will almost surely come back with a big play. He relies on that big-play ability, one of the main reasons he's so good.

Just look at his performance at the 2011 U.S. Open vs. Roger Federer.

Or, look at last year's Australian Open. Djokovic lost a long tiebreaker in the second set (8-10), and he responded by winning 6-0, 6-2 to bury Ivan Dodig.

It shouldn't have been a tough match, but his opponent was able to gain a little momentum. Once that happened, Djokovic put an end to it.

Not many players trust themselves like Djoker does. With that comfort, he is able to take his game to another level.

Djokovic should be able to cruise through most of his opponents. However, if he begins to struggle, his mental toughness will help him overcome that difficulty.

He Is Clutch

When it matters most, you can be sure that Novak Djokovic will come to play.

In his last 13 finals, Djokovic is an incredible 12-1. Essentially, once he gets to the final, he wins

That type of clutch performance is unbelievable. It's one thing to be competitive and win most of the finals. Djoker takes that one step further and has nearly won every single final he's played in since August 2009.

Considering his competition won't be tough until the semifinal or final, there is no reason Djokovic shouldn't get to the final in each Grand Slam. Once he's there, he's proven that he can get the job done.