New York ? Novak Djokovic produced a nearly perfect performance to match his nearly perfect season.

Returning brilliantly, swatting winners from all angles, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic beat defending champion Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1, Monday night in a final chock-full of lengthy, mesmerizing points to earn his first U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam trophy of 2011.

“In big matches, the winner is decided by small margins, a couple points,” Djokovic said. “I guess the winner is the one who believes in victory more.”

Djokovic improved to 64-2 with 10 tournament titles in a simply spectacular year, one of the greatest in the history of men’s tennis — or any sport, for that matter.

“I’ve had an amazing year,” Djokovic said, “and it keeps going.”

Against No. 2 Nadal this season, Djokovic is 6-0, all in finals — three on hard courts, including Monday; two on clay; and one on grass at Wimbledon. Djokovic also won the Australian Open in January, and is only the sixth man in the 40-plus years of the Open era to win three major titles in a single season.

“Obviously I’m disappointed, but you know what this guy is doing is unbelievable,” Nadal said.

Addressing Djokovic, Nadal added: “What you did this year is impossible to repeat, so well done.”