Wimbledon 2011 Results: Men's No. 1 Up for Grabs, Can Novak Djokovic Take It?

Novak Djokovic Will Have to Go Through Rafael Nadal to Be No. 1 in the World

The No. 1 tennis player in the world is Rafael Nadal. After Wimbledon, the No. 1 player in the world could very well be Novak Djokovic. The two have both made it to the semifinals and have opposite draws, which could mean the finals at Wimbledon could inevitably decide who holds the distinction of best tennis player in the world.

Nadal has won two of the last three tournaments at Wimbledon. He's certainly more accomplished on grass and we all know how dangerous he is on clay.

Djokovic is no slouch either. This is a guy who beat Roger Federer three times in one year and has proven he has what it takes to take out Nadal.

The tennis rivalries between Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Andy Murray are sky high. With the No. 1 ranking up for grabs, the tension has never been greater.

Djokovic has never won at Wimbledon. Then again, neither has anyone for the past decade not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

He needs the victory to round out his resume. In a scenario where both he and Nadal reach the finals, he makes an even greater case for deserving the No. 1 designation, should he reign victorious.

While jumping to the finals mentally may be easy for Djokovic, his focus needs to be on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the time being. He is 2-5 lifetime against his semifinals opponent, including a 1-1 record in majors.

He's not exactly going to skip to the finals, just because he is the favorite (Federer can attest to that).

It's important for his focus to remain on his next match, rather than on stealing away the No. 1 ranking from Nadal or enjoying a breathtaking view with his toy poodle, Pierre.

Djokovic stands a decent chance at being the No. 1 player in the world. To do so, he's probably going to have to face Nadal in the finals, but I don't think he would have it any other way. Wimbledon is building up to a heavyweight title fight, and the whole world is praying for a Djokovic Nadal final.