While he may not have played a final to win the title in hard-fought fashion, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was crowned champion at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals when opponent Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.

Djokovic became the first person since Ivan Lendl to win three straight WTF titles. Illie Nastase is the only other player to achieve that, and did so over forty years ago.

“We always give 100 per cent,” said Djokovic. “I’m sure that if he could’ve played, he would’ve done. So I wish him the best in his recovery.

“I’m not one of those players that celebrates these particular wins, but I have to reflect on the whole season. This trophy is definitely the crown for all the achievements that I had this year. I owe the credit to my team, to all the people who supported me all the way through, and plenty of joy. I’m very happy to be able to stand here and finish with this trophy.”

After Djokovic was announced the champion, he awarded the crowd with a pro set exhibition match against British No. 1 Andy Murray. While the match will not count towards his 61-8 overall record, he still managed to end his 2014 season on a high note.