Novak Djokovic, the New ATP World No. 1

As much as I love Rafael Nadal, I will have to concede that Djokovic is now the Worlds No. 1. If my idol Rafa can graciously accept his defeat and tell the world that Novak Djokovic deserve to win the 2011 Wimbledon title and the World No 1 position, which has been shared for 8 years between only Rafa and Federer , then so must I.

The beauty of Rafael Nadal is his humility and grace, whether in triumph or defeat. And that is one thing that some players need to learn. I am gutted over his loss but Rafa even teaches us fans how easy it is to forget that this is a game where sometimes you can win and in other time you can lose.

"Today wasn't possible," Nadal said. "I tried my best, as always. Today, one player played better than me. I will try another time, next year."

And as the new ATP rankings come out, let us remember that these are just numbers. Rafa has gone as low as No 3 before but was able to overcome and get World No 1 rank again. I think what he needs to do is to think of ways to face and tackle his new rival Djokovic. He is still young and can still go along way but for now he needs to rest and take care of his injuries. I have said in my blog before that the illness in Doha seems to have affected him and his games then the foot injury. He is not 100% whole or maybe I am expecting too much from him or expect everything to be the same as his games in 2010.

He has reached a pinnacle that hasn't been climbed often, he is a player who has just about everything - the love and support of a good family and team, a beautiful girlfriend and a steady relationship, wealth, fame or rock star status, an outstanding tennis career, the support of sponsors and continuous sports gear endorsements, and the warm support of a huge fan base. What else can a man ask for? He has done it, he has made it to the top, he can continue to do so, but we know that Rafa is one who wouldn't rest on his laurels. And he will be back better than before.

Here is a look at the new rankings:

Pos	Name	Points	Pos Moved	Tourns Played
1	Djokovic, Novak	13,285	1	18
2	Nadal, Rafael	11,270	-1	22
3	Federer, Roger	9,230	0	21
4	Murray, Andy	6,855	0	20
5	Soderling, Robin	4,325	0	25
6	Ferrer, David	4,150	0	24
7	Monfils, Gael	2,780	1	21
8	Fish, Mardy	2,650	1	21
9	Berdych, Tomas	2,470	-2	26
10	Roddick, Andy	2,110	0	21