Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Roger Federer has had to accept second best to Novak Djokovic in the finals at Wimbledon, the US Open and now the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. And he admitted it looks as though he is going to be forced to suffer more of the same in 2016.

Djokovic was superb in the way he turned the tables on Federer in the final, winning 6-3,6-4 after losing his long unbeaten run to the Swiss in last Tuesday. And Federer was forced to conclude: “Clearly Novak is going into next year with massive confidence. It’s going to be hard for him to play a bad year, that’s for sure.”

The Serb took his 2015 earnings through the US$20 million mark by becoming the first man to win the ATP’s grand finale for a fourth year in succession. He is now just one title short of Federer’s all time best of six in the event.

“This has been the best year of my life, a great year with many highlights and I could not ask for a better finish,” said Djokovic.  “Overall it’s been as close to perfection as it can get.”

Djokovic revealed his schedule will be condensed next year with the French Open title and the Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro figuring high alongside the defense of the three majors he has won this year.

A sixth Barclays ATP Tour Finals trophy also beckons (his first win in the year ending event came in Shanghai under the previous title of the Tennis Masters Cup) and he said: “I will try to do as well as I’ve done in the last couple of years, always peak at the right moments and always try to perform my best at the biggest events.

“Yet right now what I’m thinking about is the rest. I need some time to really recharge my batteries and then I’ll think about my next season.”

Djokovic’s latest win came on his coach Boris Becker’s 47th birthday and he said: “I owe a big gratitude and big thanks to my team for preparing me, for allowing me to reach my best when it’s most needed. Even after the Grand Slam season was done, I was still managing to find that freshness and energy to keep on going and keep playing well.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.