In my narrative of the 2011 men’s season, the Key Biscayne final isn't merely the 5th best; it's the crux, the turning point, the afternoon when everything changed for good. Novak Djokovic had already won the Australian Open, had already beaten Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells, and was already deep into his season-opening win streak, but to me this was the match where, from both a physical and a psychological standpoint, he finally and permanently turned the tables on Nadal. Since that time, I’ve heard that Nadal himself believes the turning point occurred one tournament earlier, with his loss at Indian Wells, but I’m sticking with my story.
I’m sticking with it because in my mind, when this match got down to brass tacks and the two players began a third-set tiebreaker, I felt sure, despite Djokovic’s streak, that Nadal was going to win. Because he always wins in these situations. Because the hard work he had made his opponent do for the last three hours would pay off now, as it had paid off so many times before. And, maybe most important, because he couldn’t afford another loss to Novak.
But at the moment when Nadal was supposed to win, he lost. Instead it was Djokovic who upped his game, found the corners, got more aggressive, and looked like the fresher player. All the time that I had thought Nadal had been wearing his opponent down, the opposite had been happening. From then on, it was Djokovic who had the edge. In the four matches they played after this one, he would win 10 sets and lose just two.
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—Compared to the last time we saw these two, in my No. 7 match, the U.S. Open final, Nadal begins by playing closer to the baseline. He also begins by serving and hitting his backhand with more force. And his fast start lasts much longer, all the way to 5-1 in the first set. But again, in a bit of foreshadowing, Djokovic doesn’t do the usual thing and save his energy for the second set. He gets the score back to 5-4 and puts a scare into Nadal. You can see it in the way Rafa looks across the net at Djokovic after finally securing the set—it’s not a look of confidence, or even relief.
—In the first set, you can hear that commentator Robbie Koenig, like me, still believed that it was Nadal who was doing the wearing down. After one long, physical point that Rafa wins, Koenig says those kinds of points will help him later. But they don’t. Nadal would later say that he had been utterly drained by this match. He had lost, for one of the only times in his career, the grind.
—This time, it’s Djokovic who gets stronger in the heat. Despite losing the first set, his belief only grows. By the middle of the second, he’s virtually toying with Nadal. Djokovic twice wins points with demoralizing/humiliating drop shot-lob combinations.
—Overall, this clip showcases Djokovic at his versatile best. Even more than the Open final, it gives us an idea of what made him a special player this year. Everything is on display, one point after the next. The newfound accuracy and tactical effectiveness of his drop shot. His return, which he runs around and cranks freely for winners. His improved serve; he finishes the second set with an ace. His weaponized backhand, which he uses to create rather than just rally. His touch and confidence around the net, which has never been a strong suit. And most important, his defense. At first, watching this, I thought that Nadal’s forehand had slowed down a bit. Then I realized that he’s hitting it the same way he always has. It’s just that Djokovic, by tracking them down and pounding them back, makes Rafa’s strokes look a tiny bit slower than they do against everyone else.
—The third set is a war, filled with superb tennis from both; the rallies aren’t as long as those at the Open, but there’s a higher level of shotmaking here, in my opinion. It’s as if Djokovic still didn’t quite believe he could out-grind Rafa at this point, so he goes for more than he does at Flushing Meadows.
Each player holds his way to 6-6. Djokovic seems to have the upper hand, but Nadal does everything he can to hang in. A tiebreaker is the moment of truth, though, and the truth was that Djokovic was the better player. Again, as always, Nadal fights back and hangs in, but it’s no longer enough.
If there’s an art to making these clips, it’s shown here when the editor gives us a few extra seconds of Djokovic bouncing the ball on the match point that ends it. It’s a simple play from the Serb: good serve to the backhand, better forehand to the same spot a few seconds later. There wasn’t much Nadal could do on this point, or during this season.
All that was left was the handshake. While the rivalry had turned a corner that afternoon in Miami, Nadal’s feelings about that change hadn’t quite caught up. It was the last time he would offer his conqueror a hug in defeat.
