Novak Djokovic first became No. 1 defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2011. He plays Tsonga Sunday, Oct. 18 in the finals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

“Happiness,” New York Yankees’ owner Col. Jacob Ruppert said in the 1920s, “was watching the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away.”

Oh, for those days, right, fellow Yankee fans?

But Green Bay Packers’ fans and those of tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic understand the sentiment. Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Nole are quite simply on a roll in their respective sports. Yes, the San Diego Chargers could route the Packers Sunday, Oct. 18 while half a world away Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could defeat Nole in the finals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Yep, it could happen – but the thinking is God would have to drop everything else.

That’s what it means to be on a roll. What makes Aaron and Nole so good? Two things that they have in common. First, they move very well. You can talk all you want about Tom Brady and Roger Federer, but they are past-their-prime legends who lack the dynamism of their respective rivals.

The second thing is a rock-solid confidence. Winning begets winning and becomes a foregone conclusion. Whereas you look at other players – and, sadly, they now include Rafael Nadal and even Fed, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka – and you’re never sure what you’re going to get. Rafa walked all over Stanimal in Shanghai only to go down to Tsonga, who is not a player of Nadal’s caliber. Nole in turn walked all over Andy, who has a lot on his mind now with wife Kim due to give birth to their first child early next year and the Davis Cup coming up.

There’s a point, though, at which you just have to stop making excuses. Nole’s having a season like he had in 2011, even better. The difference? Then he was riding the wave of his physical gifts. Since then he’s learned to go deep within to steady himself through the ups and downs of the season. No wonder For The Win calls him “The Most Dominant Athlete in the World.”

Meanwhile SB Nation calls Aaron – who can beat you with his brains, his arm and his legs, too – “God’s Favorite Quarterback.”

When mind and body fuse, the result is unbeatable – and irresistible.