WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Until Sunday, Novak Djokovic never managed to win a grass-court tournament of any sort, let alone Wimbledon.

Until Sunday, Djokovic never was able to beat Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam match, let alone a final.

Until this marvelous — and nearly perfect — year, Djokovic was very good. Now he’s great.

After outrunning, outswinging and, for stretches, dominating defending champion Nadal, winning 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 for his first title at the All England Club and third major championship overall, Djokovic crouched on Center Court, reached down, plucked some blades of grass and shoved them in his mouth.

“I felt like an animal. I wanted to see how it tastes. It tastes good,” Djokovic said later, his eyes wide and his smile contagious. “It came spontaneously, really. I didn’t plan to do it. I didn’t know what to do for my excitement and joy.”

Putting together one of the best seasons by any athlete in any sport in recent memory, Djokovic is 48-1 with eight titles in 2011, including major trophies from the Australian Open and Wimbledon. On Monday, he will rise from No. 2 to No. 1 in the ATP rankings, overtaking Nadal, a switch that was guaranteed by virtue of Djokovic’s victory in the semifinals Friday.

“I want to win more Grand Slams,” said Djokovic, the first man since Andre Agassi in 1992 to win his first grass title at Wimbledon. “I will not definitely stop here, even though I have achieved (the) two biggest things in my life in three days.”

Which, perhaps, is why he engaged in such a lengthy and original celebration, even tossing several rackets into the stands.