Nadal vs. Djokovic US Open Final 2011: 3 Reasons Djokovic Is New Face of Tennis

After defeating Rafael Nadal to win the 2011 US Open on Monday, Novak Djokovic firmly planted himself atop the tennis world. The win capped a magical season in which Djokovic lost just twice. He also became just the sixth men's player in history to win three Grand Slams in a single calendar year.

Although Nadal and Roger Federer may still be the kings of the tennis world in the minds of some, there is no denying that Djokovic is the top player by a mile. Here are three reasons why Djokovic has supplanted both Nadal and Federer as the face of men's tennis.

His Age

At 24 years of age, Djokovic is in his athletic prime. This is especially true for tennis players, as very few continue to excel once they reach the age of 30. Djokovic has plenty of good years left in him, but he will almost certainly never be better than he is right now. Rafael Nadal may only be one year older than Djokovic, but injuries have taken a major toll on his body.

Federer has reached that magic age of 30 in which most players begin to decline. While Federer is unquestionably still one of the world's best players, it's no coincidence that he hasn't won a Grand Slam in nearly two years. Both Federer and Nadal will have plenty more opportunities to win majors and likely will, but Djokovic will be the man to beat for years to come.

His Dominance

The sport of tennis has a long and storied past, but Djokovic's 2011 season may very well be the greatest in the history of the sport. Not only did Djokovic win the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, but he also reached the Semifinals of the French Open and won 10 total titles. Djokovic also finished the season with an unprecedented 68-2 record.

His dominance is particularly impressive when you consider the fact that he often had to compete against all-time greats in the form of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It isn't as if Djokovic has capitalized on a weak crop of opponents. There may have never been as many generationally great players competing in one time period as there are now, but Djokovic is the cream of the crop.

His Personality

Not only is Djokovic a better player than Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at this point in time, but he also has a much more engaging personality than either of them have ever had. There is no denying Federer's greatness, but he has rarely shown emotion outside of his major wins and generally possesses a very dry personality.

Nadal is a bit more colorful, but he is a very quiet individual who is usually pretty reserved. Djokovic, on the other hand, has a very fun personality. He has shown this on late-night talk shows since gaining the No. 1 ranking and on the court as well. Djokovic has routinely broken into dance and he is well known for his impressions of other people. Not only is Djokovic just as talented as Federer and Nadal, but he is far more entertaining off the court.