"Novak Djokovic could barely survive playing two sets, now he's outlasting Rafael Nadal on clay": When Jimmy Connors raved about the Serb's turnaround

Jimmy Connors once lavished praise on Novak Djokovic for his performance in 2011.

Djokovic produced one of the greatest seasons by a player in tennis history by winning three out of four Grand Slams and notching up 70 out of 76 matches. He reached the top of the rankings for the very first time in his career by winning Wimbledon.

After this, the Serb entered the Rogers Cup (now known as the Canadian Open) as the top seed. Jimmy Connors was present at the tournament and spoke to the press. The American was asked if he had a fondness for any player and responded by saying that he liked Rafael Nadal because of the Spaniard's game approach.

"I like Nadal just because of the style, his go-for-broke, give it everything he has. I don't think there's anything that can take the place of that," Connors said.

The American heaped praise on Djokovic's fitness, saying that the World No. 1 was able to outlast Nadal on clay a year or two after barely surviving playing two sets.

"The story of Djokovic certainly over the last year has been tremendous. A year or two ago he could barely survive playing two sets and be exhausted. Now, I mean, he's outlasting Nadal on clay. So what he has done to get in shape, he should bottle that and sell it, whatever he did. Forget tennis, he'd make a fortune off of that," Connors said.

"But that's an incredible story for me, to see exactly what happened to him. I wish I knew exactly what happened to him. But to see how he's handled that, how he's taken it, how he's incorporated that into his game, and how his game has thrived because of his conditioning. One has played off the other so well," he added.

The Serb won the 2011 Rogers Cup by beating Mardy Fish 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the final.

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in six meetings in 2011

The Serb and Rafael Nadal after their French Open semifinal in 2021

Rafael Nadal led 16-7 in the head-to-head against Novak Djokovic by the end of 2010. However, the rivalry shifted in the Serb's favor in 2011 when he won all six matches against the Spaniard.

They locked horns in the title clashes of the Indian Wells and the Miami Masters, with Djokovic winning both matches after being a set down. The Serb then beat his rival in the finals of the Madrid Masters and Rome Masters, clinching both matches in straight sets.

The next two fixtures between the two came in the title clashes at Wimbledon and US Open, and Djokovic won both matches in four sets. The Serb took his winning streak against Nadal to seven after winning the iconic Australian Open final in 2012 before the Spaniard beat him at the Monte-Carlo Masters.