The Greatest Set of Tennis Ever Played — Third Set of the 2011 US Open Final, as Told in GIFs

If you don’t recall, this is what the ATP rankings looked like at the beginning of 2011:

When the season started, Rafael Nadal was considered to be the best player in the world. He had won three straight majors at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. With then-World No. 2 Roger Federer struggling to get back in the mix to win a major tournament, Nadal looked poised to contend for a non-calendar year Grand Slam heading into Melbourne.

Of course, narratives don’t always play out the way they’re expected to. As we know now, Novak Djokovic, who was a whopping 1-6 against Federer and Nadal in 2010, put together one of the most incredible streaks in tennis history, winning 43 straight matches before Federer stopped him at Roland Garros.

Djokovic had beaten Nadal in five straight finals in 2011 before the US Open, in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, and Wimbledon.

While it was clear that Djokovic was the hottest player on the ATP Tour after the first few months of the year, Nadal (still ranked No. 1) found himself facing questions like this just days after after winning his sixth Roland Garros title:

Q. If you look on the Wimbledon website today, the most popular story is you being toppled as No. 1 if you don’t win this tournament and that you may be a man in decline. Do you feel like a man in decline?

RAFAEL NADAL: Me?

Q. Yes. 

RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe. But I won Roland Garros two weeks ago. I don’t forget (smiling). Maybe you or the website yes. After winning Roland Garros, two weeks later is a little bit fast to say I am. You can say that maybe next year, but probably now is a little bit dangerous to say that.

But, no, you know, is my seventh year without be out of the top two. Is a lot of years. Probably I started to be decline, but hopefully not. Maybe they are right. I don’t know.

After their last match before the US Open, the Wimbledon final, a downcast Nadal talked about his recent failures against Djokovic.

“Is true we can analyze that my game is not bothering him,” Nadal said. “We have to find how I can bother him another time. I did in the past.”

The US Open final presented itself as an opportunity for Nadal to have another try at beating his foe, although he was a heavy underdog, given the playing surface.

From the moment Nadal cracked his first serve down the T for 15-0, Djokovic brutalized any shot from the Spaniard that landed inside the service box.

No shot was a winner against Djokovic as he raced to a 6-2, 6-4 lead. With each point, the gulf between Djokovic and Nadal seemed to grow. Nadal, one of tennis’ fiercest competitors, was getting routined in a Grand Slam final, and he wasn’t even playing poorly.

But instead of allowing his will to be broken in front of a stadium full of disappointed fans hoping for a match, Nadal summoned up the courage to battle his unbeatable opponent on even ground. What followed was one of the greatest sets of tennis ever played.

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Free points on Nadal’s serve had eluded him for the first two sets of the match, so he knew he’d have to be patient and win some of the longer rallies. He cracked a backhand winner, picking his spot beautifully in his first service game for 30-0.

Nadal’s first ace of the match came at a good time. He used it to hold at love for 1-0.

A frustrated Nadal slapped his leg after a bad miss on a forehand return, seemingly urging himself to step up his game.

But Djokovic was able to hold at love with four unreturned serves for 1-all.

As Nadal began his second service game, it was hard for him to win points against Djokovic when he was winning points like this one. Djokovic stepped into the court and made the Spaniard pay for his defensive mindset. Djokovic was a brick wall.

Djokovic put major pace on a forehand to earn himself yet another break point. Nadal could only shake his head in frustration.

Coming out on top of a 23-shot rally, Djokovic broke Nadal for 2-1.

After several hours of near-invincibility, Djokovic strung together a couple errors on his next service game.

Djokovic saved one break point with a Nadal-esque topspin winner that dropped in, much to Nadal’s chagrin.

Nadal persisted. He got great depth on a backhand, catching the aggressive Djokovic off guard as he backed up to get the ball back. Nadal hit a strong forehand off Djokovic’s defensive shot to earn a third chance to break.

And break he did. They were back on serve at 2-all.

Djokovic continued to make life difficult for the Spaniard on the return, taking any opportunity to step into the court to create sharp angles.

Nadal began to get better depth on his backhand — the shot that had let him down so much in the first two sets. As the crowd’s excitement grew, Djokovic begged the unruly fans to quiet down during points.

A relentless Djokovic used his forehand to put Nadal in a defensive position, setting up a nice forehand winner to pressure him for 15-30.

With a dazzling offensive slice, Nadal got to game point.

Tension mounted. Djokovic had an outburst directed at his box after missing a volley, and Nadal began to shake off the subdued mood from the first two sets, pumping his fist to motivate himself to hold serve.

Nadal reacted with disgust as Djokovic tortured him with a flawless drop shot after a particularly long rally, as the game neared the 10 minute mark. With every point, the game gained significance.

Nadal could only smile in bemusement as Djokovic earned the break for 3-2. He had thrown everything at Djokovic, and it wasn’t enough.

As Djokovic served, attempting to earn a 4-2 lead, Nadal lined up a forehand down-the-line for 0-30.

Djokovic showed the first signs of nerve, double faulting for 0-40.

Slapping back an enormous return off a first serve, followed by another forehand down the line, Nadal broke at love for 3-all. “Vamoses” abound.

Back to square one, trying to earn another break, Djokovic became annoyed as Nadal forced an error for 30-0. Nadal pulled out the rare triple “vamos.”

Djokovic hit an unreal backhand return off a first serve that Nadal could only lunge for in futility.

Still, Nadal finally held for 4-3 with an inside-in forehand and a jubilant celebration.

Nadal took advantage of a fortunate netcord to put pressure on Djokovic’s serve.

Creating downright frenzy in Arthur Ashe stadium, Djokovic fended off a break point in an astonishing 31 shot rally, ending the point with a trademark backhand down-the-line winner.

The crowd couldn’t silence themselves as Djokovic finally held for 4-all. They were witnessing something incredible.

Helped by some better serving, Nadal easily held for 5-4. The finish line was in sight to get to a fourth set if he could only break one more time.

Met with a chance to get to set point on Djokovic’s serve, Nadal punched his racquet after missing a forehand wide.

Djokovic got back to the basics that got him to a two-sets-to-love lead, stepping in to hit a backhand winner off a short forehand.

Djokovic held for 5-all with a timely ace.

Back to work on serve, Nadal showed resourcefulness up at the net.

He became irate when he was forced into an error off a Djokovic return that put him off balance.

Djokovic got Nadal scrambling and covered the net perfectly. Break point.

Swinging freely, Djokovic cracked another backhand winner to break. He would now serve for the US Open title.

Faced with the very real possibility of going down in straight sets, Nadal brought the Arthur Ashe crowd to their feet by giving Djokovic a taste of his own medicine — getting him on the run, covering the net, and hitting a backhand down-the-line winner.

Djokovic couldn’t believe it as a long rally ended in an error on break point. The set was going to a tiebreak.

Nadal earned an early minibreak for 2-0. But Djokovic set up a beautiful one-two punch on his second service point.

Nadal won both of his next service points. The advantage of serving first put him in a comfortable 4-1 position.

He hit two positively monstrous forehands to get another minibreak for 5-1. He was inspired now.

Punctuated by a well-coordinated “vamos” with his box, Nadal finally got to set point.

The match would be going to a fourth set.

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In the end, Djokovic rightfully won this match, sealing his stellar year with a US Open title. The fourth set was tragically uncompetitive, considering how outstanding the quality of tennis was during the third. But brilliance is often unsustainable.

Still, I vividly recall watching the final, astonished by what I was seeing. Having watched so much tennis in my life, I have a tendency to be jaded. Going in, I doubted that yet another final between Djokovic and Nadal would prove to be memorable. I was completely wrong. I couldn’t take my eyes off this match. For me, it took tennis to new heights.