5 best starts to a tennis season in the Open era

It is always important to start on a bright note. A good start to a year goes a long way in ensuring that you have the motivation to continue on that winning path for the remainder of the year.Tennis players know this fact better than most and leave no stone unturned to achieve just that. There are several factors that need to be looked at before analysing a player's success over a period of time.A winning streak often involves a player's triumph on different surfaces, different conditions and of course his/her opposition. They look ruthless and every obstacle looks surmountable.[Note: The best starts include major titles won that lead to a winning streak]Let us look at the best starts to a season in the Open era:

#5 Rafael Nadal - 2009

Rafael Nadal poses with the Australian Open in 2009

From being a predominantly clay court player to winning titles on all surfaces, Rafael Nadal showed why he was the World No. 1 at the end of 2008. However, there were still questions asked about him not able to win in Melbourne and New York.

He answered the first of those questions in style by beating his arch-rival Roger Federer in a thrilling five-setter at Rod Laver Arena. Nadal won his 13th Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells by crushing Andy Murray in the finals.

The King of Clay won all clay tournaments he participated in before the French Open. He captured his fifth consecutive Monte-Carlo title by overcoming Novak Djokovic in the final.

His compatriot David Ferrer couldn't stop him from winning his fifth title in Barcelona. In the second Masters 1000 clay event of the year in Rome, Nadal again defeated Djokovic to head into Paris with all the momentum in the world.

Nadal was the overwhelming favorite to win his fifth Roland Garros title that year. However, a certain Robin Soderling had other ideas. In what many consider as the upset of the century, the Swede took out Nadal in four sets by playing lights out tennis. That is the only loss for the Spaniard on the Parisian clay till date.

#4 Jimmy Connors - 1974

Jimmy Connors won his second Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 1974

In his prime, Jimmy Connors was a tough nut to crack for his opponents. 1974 was one such year. The American won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open beating Phil Dent in four sets.

He wasn't allowed to take part in the French Open as he was associated with World Team Tennis at the time. Connors extended his amazing run to Wimbledon and the US Open winning both events beating Ken Rosewall in the finals.

He won 15 tournaments in the year with an impressive 99-4 win-loss record. Connors' dominance was unchallenged from 1974-78 as he reigned as the World No. 1 winning eight Grand Slams in the process.

#3 Roger Federer - 2006

Roger Federer poses with the Australian Open title in 2006

Roger Federer was at his imperious best in 2006. The Swiss maestro capped off what many feel as the best tennis seasons ever with a 92-5 win-loss record.

His magnificent run started with a title in Doha as he got the better of Gael Monfils in straight sets. After coming through a tough five-set quarterfinal against Tommy Haas in Melbourne, Federer won his second Australian Open with a four-set victory over Marcos Baghdatis in the final.

Federer then went on to win both Indian Wells and Miami Open in straight sets before the clay season. It was heartbreak for Federer as he was beaten in all three clay court finals in Monte-Carlo, Rome and the French Open.

The Swiss ace reached the Wimbledon final without dropping a set. Although Nadal took a set off Federer in the final, it did not stop the Basel native from winning his fourth Wimbledon title.

Federer won his third US Open taking out home favorite Andy Roddick in the final.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion reached 16 finals in 17 tournaments that he participated, only missing out in Cincinnati Masters.

#2 John McEnroe - 1984

John McEnroe with the Wimbledon trophy in 1984

In 1984, beating John McEnroe was considered beyond the bounds of possibility for any player.

The American came into the French Open on a 35-match winning streak.

McEnroe - Lendl rivalry is one of the best of all time and it was not a surprise that they faced off against each other in the French Open final. McEnroe won the two sets, but Lendl came storming back to take the final three sets to win his first Grand Slam.

His winning streak ended at 42 with this loss and McEnroe described this defeat as the bitterest of his career.

McEnroe bounced back strongly winning Wimbledon (beat Jimmy Connors) and avenged his French Open loss by getting the better of Lendl in the US Open final in straight sets.

The former World No. 1 ended the year with a 84-3 win-loss record which included 13 titles.

#1 Novak Djokovic -2011

Novak Djokovic poses with his first Wimbledon trophy in 2011

The current World No. 1 had a dream year in 2011. Novak Djokovic started off the year by winning his second Grand Slam at the Australian Open He beat Andy Murray in the final.

After winning Dubai Open, the Serb dominated the American hard court season claiming both the Indian Wells and Miami Open crowns. He beat Rafael Nadal in the finals of both events.

The Belgrade native started his clay court campaign with the Serbia Open. He beat Feliciano Lopez, a clay court specialist in straight sets which gave him the confidence ahead of the two ATP 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

Djokovic was stretched to three sets by David Ferrer and Thomaz Bellucci before reaching the final in Madrid. A sterner test awaited in the form of Nadal, but the Serb was too good as he won in straight sets to remain unbeaten.

Next up was the Rome Masters, a week before the French Open. After coming through a tough third set tie-breaker against Andy Murray in the semifinal, Djokovic bought his A-game against the then defending champion Nadal to win in straight sets.

Djokovic came into the French Open with a 37-0 win-loss record. He reached the semifinal dropping just one set against Juan Martin del Potro in the third round.

His winning streak ended at 41 after his loss against Roger Federer in the semifinals.

However, 2011 remains a memorable year for Djokovic as he won three Grand Slams in a year. This is what John McEnroe said of Djokovic's achievement: "Djokovic is having the greatest year in the history of our sport."