Following Spain's win in the Davis Cup - its fifth since 2000 - the 2011 tennis season has officially come to an end. It is at this point that we review the year that was, and look ahead to the year that will be.

2011 saw Novak Djokovic rise to new heights to achieve one of the great years in men's sport, let alone tennis He jumped to the number one ranking in July, after winning his first 43 matches of the season, on his way to three Grand Slam wins.

The Serb's season was a breath of fresh air for those who were growing weary of the Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer era. We had been waiting for someone to challenge the unchallengeable duo, and the Joker's explosive year was just the tonic.

In doing so, Djokovic has remodelled the era into one of multiple men's superpowers. Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer seem to have a stranglehold on tennis so tight that even those ranked directly below them struggle to compete. Still, the spectacle of the game benefits from having more than just two players capable of winning majors.

For Djokovic to rise so sharply, though, Nadal and Federer had to fall. Nadal will undoubtedly be disappointed with his season, after he was upstaged by Djokovic in each of their six meetings - all in finals. He did win his pet tournament, the French Open, and helped Spain to the Davis Cup, but his inability to close out titles left him with just three wins for the year, his worst return since 2004.

Federer, too, would not consider this season to have achieved a pass mark. He was clearly delighted to win the ATP Finals - considered the fifth most important tournament - last week, for a remarkable sixth time. However, he failed to win a Grand Slam all year, for the first time since 2002.

Not even the two players vying for the title of "Best Player Ever" could trouble Djokovic. Will they be able to next year? And if they can't, can anyone else?

Of the big two, Nadal definitely seems more likely. At 25, he still has his best years ahead of him. He was hampered by injury, which preys on both the physical and mental elements of a player's game. When fit, Nadal is one of the most dangerous conceivable opponents.

The most important thing for Nadal to do in 2012 is start strongly. He bombed out of the Australian Open in the quarter finals this year, which quelled the aura of invincibility that had always followed him. His opponents regained hope. A strong start would recover that aura, wins become easier, confidence rises, and the Nadal we know and fear returns.

Not that I am one to write Federer off. In the last few months, the 30-year-old has returned to playing tennis which is simultaneously terrifying and beautiful, as only the Swiss master can do. He has not lost a match since the US Open final in August, and has recaptured third rank off Andy Murray. If there's one thing that lifts an ageing champion, it's the impending vision of the finish line - knowing that he can't bank on the future might force Federer to make the most of 2012, and is he does, heaven help his competition.

Indeed, it is likely that tennis' Holy Trinity will remain on top in 2012. Yet there are several players from beyond that are primed for a big year, and may even snatch a major title off them.

Sixth-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the first that comes to mind. A gutsy come-from-two-sets-behind win over Federer at Wimbledon suggests the entertaining Frenchman is as strong mentally as he is physically. His raw talent has gotten him so far, but if he knuckles down and becomes more consistent, he can challenge anyone on his day.

Janko Tipsarevic turned some heads after defeating compatriot Djokovic at the ATP Finals. His season was solid, reaching a number of finals and recording wins in Kuala Lumpur and Moscow, resulting in a move up to ninth on the rankings. His Grand Slam record took a hit after retiring hurt at both Wimbledon and the French Open, but that opens the door for big improvements in 2012, which would be reflected in the rankings.

Another player to watch next year is Milos Raonic. The Montenegrin-born Canadian rocketed up the rankings, from 156 at the start of the year to 31 at present. At only 20 years of age, yet standing 196cm, Raonic claimed some impressive scalps this year, such as Gilles Simon, Mikhail Youzhny, and Fernando Verdasco - the latter in the final at San Jose.

It would be great for all concerned to see players such as those three begin to challenge the elite.