Just as people began questioning his ability to match the likes of Djokovic or Nadal. swiss ace Roger Federer captured his seventh Wimbledon crown to match his idol Pete Sampras. Just weeks later, Federer lost out on an Olympic singles gold, losing the title clash to Murray.
After a mind-blowing2011, in which he won 10 tournaments, Novak Djokovic got 2012 off to a great start, winning the Australian Open against Rafael Nadal. That the match at five hours and 53 minutes, was the longest in Grand Slam history only highlighted the Serb's physical and mental toughness. Reaching three finals in four majors, finishing fourth at the Olympics and winning the year-ending World Tour Finals sets him up nicely for another fine run in 2013.
In a season plagued for months by a recurring knee injury, Rafael Nadal still managed to dazzle as he notched up his seventh French Open title. In the process the Spaniard also proved that he was the true king or Roland Garros as he surpassed the legendary Bjorn Borg's record. Tendinitis forced him to miss the Olympics and the US Open as he dropped to No, 4 in world rankings.