Will Novak Djokovic follow Roger Federer’s stellar career path or fade as Mats Wilander did?

Can a tennis player win three grand slam singles titles in a single year, ascend to the number one ranking for the first time then lose his edge forever and fade into oblivion?

It happened to Swedish star Mats Wilander after his stellar 1988 season and I’m wondering if the same fate awaits  Novak Djokovic who finished his spectacular season this week by losing more matches in three days than he did in the first seven months of the year.

Djokovic was eliminated earlier today from the ATP World Tour Finals and has not won a tournament since his US Open victory in early September. He has won Wimbledon and the Australian Open plus seven other tournaments in 2011.

“What is missing … is that freshness,” Djokovic said after losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic. “The will to win, just being on the court, giving 100 percent. I’m not able to do that now because I just have very little left.”

He finishes the year with a 71-6 record.

The real test comes in January and the Australian Open. Will Djokovic, who spent more than four years ranked third in world behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have regained his freshness and will to win by then?

Federer managed to win three majors in a singles season in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and two slams in 2005 and 2009. He always came back strong as had Nadal who won three slams in 2010 and two slams in 2008.

Back in 1988, Wilander broke through after more than five years in the top four. He had won a pair of French Opens (1982 and 1985) and Australian Opens (1983 and 1984) but found himself overshadowed by the likes of John McEnroe, Boris Becker and especially Ivan Lendl.

Much like Djokovic, he stayed close then eventually overtook his rivals in 1988 to win his third French Open, third Australian Open and first US Open. He also became number one for the first time and he was just 25.

What did he do for an encore?

Not much.

Wilander quickly faded after spending five months as number one. By the end of 1990, he was ranked number 49 and in 1993, was ranked 330. He managed to climb back to number 46 in 1995 and retired the next year.

In all, Wilander won seven slam singles titles and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Djokovic is at four and counting while Federer has won 16 and Nadal 10.

Time will tell if Djokovic will be another Wilander or continue his march to all-time greatness.