Novak Djokovic's career-defining season has come to an end after he was knocked out of the ATP World Tour Finals yesterday.
The Serb fell to fellow countryman Janko Tipsarevic but still had hope of scraping through to the semi-finals. However, Tomas Berdych's three-set victory over David Ferrer ensured that Djokovic would be going home alongside Tipsarevic in Group A.
Despite his departure in London, the 24-year-old boasts an astounding record for the year, ending the season as world number one with a 70-6 win-loss record.
He also holds three of the four Grand Slam titles after victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
"I had an unbelievable year," Djokovic told BBC Sport. "Nothing can ruin that. I will always remember this year as the best of my life."
After his impressive start to the year where he went 42 games unbeaten before his defeat to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the French Open, the Serb has fallen away towards the end of the campaign.
He has played only eight matches between the US Open at Flushing Meadows and this week's year-end championship at the O2 Arena.
"My body says that it's overload," added Djokovic. "It's been too much this year. Mentally I feel a little bit drained.
"I just don't have the freshness in my mind for the matches and I don't have the dynamics that I had in all ten months of the year.
"But this is something to be expected after the year I had and now I just want to prepare well for 2012."
Next year's Australian Open begins on January 16.
Pascal Lemesre
