ESPN 2007 US Open

NEW YORK -- In the slim span of three August days, the future of men's tennis was revealed. His name: Novak Djokovic.

The 20-year-old from Serbia wrecked No. 3-ranked Andy Roddick and No. 2 Rafael Nadal in straight sets, then showed enormous poise in a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (2) victory over No. 1 Roger Federer in the final of the Montreal ATP Masters Series event.

It had been 13 years since that rare 1-2-3 sweep was executed: Boris Becker did it in Stockholm.

What did Djokovic take from Montreal?

"I take a big trophy," Djokovic said, laughing, when he arrived here at the National Tennis Center. "I won against Roger in a tough match. I won two tiebreaks. It makes my success even bigger."

With astonishing speed, Djokovic has distanced himself from the handful of yesterday's teenage phenoms. He has lifted his ranking 80 spots in two years, all the way to No. 3 in the world.

Let's review his peer group:

Marcos Baghdatis broke through with an appearance in the 2006 Australian Open final and finished the year at No. 12. Expectations, however, have weighed heavily on the 22-year-old Cypriot. His current ranking is No. 18 and, after a first-round loss to Max Mirnyi, that number will get bigger.

France's Richard Gasquet and his stylish backhand were once the Next Big Thing, but the 21-year-old's ranking has plateaued, moving up only three spots in the past two years, to No. 13.

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic burst into the top 50 at the age of 19 and has made steady progress since. At the age of 21 he's cracked the top 10 (at No. 9), but how much higher will he go?

Great Britain's Andy Murray comes with an asterisk. The 20-year-old rose to No. 8 in June, but after suffering an injured wrist, he has played only four matches since mid-May. Along with Djokovic, he seems to be destined to be a top-five player.

How has Djokovic done it?

Ricardo Acuna, a USTA senior coach currently working with rising American star John Isner, broke down Djokovic's difference by tapping his head and then his heart.

"He's young, but he has no fear," Acuna said Tuesday in the players' lounge. "When you beat a top player once, in your mind, you are not afraid. Beating Federer, Nadal, Roddick -- you can't do better than that.

"Berdych, Gasquet, Baghdatis -- they are good players, but I don't think they believe they can beat the top players. Physically, they all have the strokes. To me, most of it is mental. Different players sometimes get too satisfied with where they are. Djokovic wants it more than the others. He has more inside him."

Acknowledged Djokovic, "I have more confidence. I think I have enough quality to challenge the best players in the world."

He isn't a flashy player, but Djokovic is surprisingly complete for someone his age. He is a little bit better than his peers in virtually every category.

The thing that separates him, most importantly, is his movement. His serve and forehand are both a little bigger, too. And the very best players -- as we have seen with Federer, Nadal and Roddick -- ride their forehand to the top. Djokovic also works hard on fitness and hasn't suffered any major injuries.

"I'm more consistent from the baseline," Djokovic said. "I am stronger physically. It's one year, and in this stage in the ages of 19, 20, one year is a lot. I'm able to hang on through the five-set matches. Mentally, I'm stronger because of a lot of tournaments, a lot of matches, a lot of experience."

Djokovic's greatest success last year came in reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where he retired to Nadal. He won two minor titles -- in places called Amersfoort and Metz -- but this year he has been a revelation. Not only did Djokovic win two ATP Masters Series, in Miami and Montreal, but his Grand Slams results are improving dramatically.

He suffered a fourth-round loss at the Australian Open to Federer, then reached the semifinals at Roland Garros (falling to eventual champion Nadal) and at Wimbledon (also losing to Nadal). Djokovic has yet to reach a major final. Could this 2007 U.S. Open be the first?

USA broadcaster Jim Courier, a four-time Grand Slam champion, isn't quite ready to invite Djokovic into the firmament of the Big Three.

"We have to put it on pause and see how he does at the Open," Courier said Tuesday during the broadcast. "I'll be happy to include him in that group when he produces the numbers."

Djokovic, it must be said, is right on schedule. Maybe ahead. Federer was nearly 22 years old when he won his first Grand Slam, the 2003 Wimbledon. Djokovic will turn 22 around the time of the 2009 French Open.

On Tuesday, Djokovic's first-round match against Robin Haase was over in 96 minutes. He won 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 and his serve was never broken versus the "lucky loser" qualifier (Haase lost in qualifying but was a last-minute replacement).

"He's a smart guy -- he listens, he takes what he thinks will work for him and adds it to his game," said John McEnroe, a four-time winner here, on a conference call. "His serve is getting better, his backhand has improved, his forehand is better.

"I absolutely believe he will win majors, and I think he does too."

Clearly, Djokovic believes. Now, he just has to do it. One of the reasons he should? He already has learned one of the most difficult lessons: patience.

"I just try to go step-by-step because I'm only 20 years old," he said. "I'm not really in a rush to be the No. 1 player in the world [by the] end of this year. My job is [to] do well on the tennis court and start winning."

Acuna, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 1985, sees comparisons to seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander.

"When you're that young and that good -- you feel like you're invincible," Acuna said. "This kid … there's no fear.

"He's ahead of Nadal in terms of beating Federer on different surfaces. In my opinion, in two, three years he can beat the guy who's No. 1 and be at the top of tennis. Everybody will be chasing him."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.