Top 5 Indian Wells Finals, No. 3: Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal, 2011

This week, we're counting down the Top 5 Indian Wells finals (look for the Top 5 Miami finals soon!)

• No. 5: Simona Halep d. Jelena Jankovic, 2015
• No. 4: Dominic Thiem d. Roger Federer, 2019
• No. 3: Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal, 2011
• No. 2: Rafael Nadal d. Juan Martin del Potro, 2013
• No. 1: Serena Williams d. Steffi Graf, 1999

There have been better and more thrilling matches between these two great champions, and they’ve faced each other on grander stages. But of their 59 contests, this was the most crucial. It was the one that turned the rivalry in Djokovic’s favor for good.

By this point, in the spring of 2011, the Spaniard and the Serb had already played 23 times. Nadal led their head-to-head comfortably, 16-7. He led 9-2 in the Grand Slam title count. He had been ranked No. 1 since the previous July, while Djokovic had just moved up to No. 2, and had yet to spend a week in the top spot.

But that was all beginning to change. While Rafa was No. 1, Djokovic had won the most recent Slam, in Australia, and was 17-0 on the year. Three of those 17 wins had come over Roger Federer; the day before this match, he had beaten the Swiss in three sets in the semifinals.

At the start of the final, it looked like Nadal was dead set on reasserting his authority over Djokovic. He broke serve early in the first after dropping a perfectly angled backhand volley onto the sideline. Still, while Djokovic would lose that set, he showed that he had some answers for Rafa’s tactics. Djokovic had success going crosscourt into Nadal’s forehand, and then opening up his backhand side.

Djokovic served first in the second set and held for 4-3. That’s when the change came. Down 0-30, Nadal followed a good forehand to net and hit a drop volley. But Djokovic was there in time to loft a perfectly measured backhand lob over Rafa’s head and onto the baseline to reach triple break point. Djokovic would break, hold for the set, and win the third going away, 6-2. The match point was fitting: When Djokovic hammered a crosscourt backhand into Nadal’s forehand, Rafa barely looked as if he could complete his swing, as the ball fell limply into the net. His best shot had been broken down.

Afterward, Nadal blamed his erratic serving for the defeat, but he also struck a curious note for a world No. 1. He sounded as if he was pleased just to be able to have won a set from the world No. 2.

The more positive thing is I played against a player who is playing better on the tour right now,” he said. “When I played well, I didn’t feel worse than him today. Rafael Nadal

Djokovic wasn’t yet the top-ranked player, but his form in 2011 had already made him the man to beat in Rafa’s eyes.

Djokovic would remain the man to beat for the rest of that season. He would go 6-0 against Nadal over the next 12 months, and take over the No. 1 ranking for the first time. Thirteen years later, Djokovic has passed Rafa in majors 24-22, he leads him 30-29 in their head-to-head, and has been ranked No. 1 for nearly double the number of weeks (415 to 209).

Ironically, during the trophy ceremony after this match, Djokovic called Rafa the greatest player of all time. Even he didn’t know what was to come.