Novak Djokovic: I’m enjoying the best year of my life

Djokovic has looked all but unbeatable over the last fortnigh

Djokovic's season is developing into one of the greatest ever (GETTY IMAGES)

Novak Djokovic rarely likes to compare his own performances with the past but the world No 1 said here last night that his 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final had completed the best two weeks of his career.

Djokovic has looked all but unbeatable over the last fortnight, having not dropped a set either here or in Beijing. No wonder the Serb writes Chinese characters on the camera lens after his wins and begins his on-court interviews with the latest words he has learned in Mandarin: he has won 38 of the last 39 matches he has played in China and won all 10 of the finals he has reached in this country.

“In terms of the two tournaments in back-to-back weeks, this has been the best two weeks of my career,” Djokovic said after his 78-minute victory. “Energy-wise, I was great. I didn’t get tired. I always had plenty of intensity, concentration, and had a high performance level from the first match in Beijing to today’s match. To be taken to a tie-break in only one set in two weeks is quite incredible.”

While some players flag at this time of the year, Djokovic soars. Since 2011 he has only lost two matches between the US Open and the end of the season. He now heads into his final tournaments at the Paris Masters and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London knowing he has not lost a match in the end-of-year European indoor season since 2012.

His season is developing into one of the greatest ever. Djokovic has reached 13 finals in succession (his only earlier exit was in the first week of January in Doha), won nine titles (including three at Grand Slam level) and earned a record $16m (about £10.4m) in prize money. In today’s updated world rankings list he will have 16,785 points, which breaks his own record and is nearly double the tally of Andy Murray, the world No 2.

“It’s the best year of my life, no question about it,” Djokovic said. “Everything is working great. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be able to play this well.”

Djokovic won his 25th Masters Series title, which leaves him only two behind Rafael Nadal’s all-time record, by striking the ball with relentless consistency, forcing his opponents into mistakes. From the moment he broke Tsonga twice to go 3-0 up there was no doubt about the outcome of the final.

At least Tsonga could console himself with the fact that he lasted 11 minutes longer than Murray, who suffered his heaviest defeat to Djokovic in more than seven years when he lost 6-1, 6-3 in Saturday’s semi-final.

Like Djokovic, Murray’s next tournament will be the Paris Masters in a fortnight. In the meantime he might reacquaint himself with clay courts in preparation for next month’s Davis Cup final away to Belgium.

“I don’t think I’m going to hit too many balls on the clay next week, if any at all,” Murray said. “But I might get on the clay courts and just get used to the sliding and movement.”