Djokovic, who was already guaranteed to take over the top ranking from the Spaniard on Monday, extended his mastery over Nadal this season with a fifth straight head-to-head victory.
After shaking hands with Nadal at the net, Djokovic walked back out on court and crouched down. He pulled a blade or two of grass out of the manicured lawn and put it in his mouth.
"It's really hard to describe this with any words except the best day of my life, most special day of my life," said Djokovic, who tossed three of his rackets into the crowd before accepting the championship trophy. "This is my favorite tournament, the tournament I always dreamed of winning. The first tennis tournament I ever watched in my life." Djokovic assured himself of the No. 1 ranking just by reaching the final. He opened the season with 41 straight wins, including the Australian Open title, but his 43-match winning streak dating to December came to an end against Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals.
The win over Nadal improved Djokovic's record in 2011 to 48-1, with five victories coming against the Spaniard in finals - two on hard courts, two on clay and et with four straight points, Nadal double-faulted for the first time. He lost the next two points and soon was broken again when he sent a backhand long.
"He's doing great. He's doing a few things fantastic," Nadal said. "But I had to play better to win, and I didn't today. I played little bit less aggressive." Nadal had won 20 straight matches at the All England Club, including two of the previous three titles. He missed the 2009 tournament because of injury, but was playing in his fifth Wimbledon final in six years.
"For me it's a dream another time be back in this final," said Nadal, a 10-time Grand Slam champion. "Today wasn't possible. I tried my best as always, today one player play better than me. I will try another time next year." The loss to Djokovic on Sunday was Nadal's first in a major final to a player other than Federer.
"When I won in 2008 for the first time, the emotions was very high so I can imagine how (Novak feels) today," said Nadal, who lost to Federer in the 2006 and '07 finals.
"It's a special day and another time I congratulate him." Nadal injured his left foot in a fourth-round win, but painkilling injections helped him roll through the next two rounds and into the final.
"Seriously, I lose because I am playing against the best player of the moment, the best player of the world tomorrow, and I am the second," Nadal said. "And when you play against these players and they are playing unbelievable, the normal thing is (to) lose."
