Moment 4: Roger Federer stops a 41-match win streak, and wags a finger, at Roland Garros

WATCH: Novak Djokovic sits at the Tennis Channel desk after his record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title.

Is the Big 3’s Grand Slam title race finally over? It appears so. Now that we (probably) know the winner, we’re looking back at the times when this two-decade marathon might have gone a different way.

For more on GOAT Race, a 10-part series leading up to Wimbledon, read...

• Moment 1: 2007 Wimbledon final: Nadal “seizes up” with break points in the fifth
• Moment 2: 2008 Wimbledon final: Federer’s four-hour comeback comes up one break point short
• Moment 3: 2010 US Open semifinal: Djokovic “closes his eyes” and hits two huge, match-saving forehands against Federer

4. 2011 Roland Garros semifinal: Federer stops a streak, and wags a finger

The spring of 2011 was the moment when Novak Djokovic caught up to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He did it in spectacular style, by winning his first 41 matches of the season. Along the way, he collected his second major title at the Australian Open, and went 7-0 against Roger and Rafa. He even beat the Spaniard in the finals in Rome and Madrid, on clay, in straight sets.

By the time Djokovic got to Paris, his streak was front-page news around the world. If he won the tournament, he would break John McEnroe’s record for consecutive wins to start a season, and stake his first claim to No. 1. To do it, though, he would have to beat Federer in the semis, and Nadal in the final.

It was hardly a surprise that tensions were running exceptionally high in Court Philippe Chatrier as the Swiss and Serb entered the court late on a gray afternoon for their semifinal. The clouds were low and ominous; the crowd was decisively, and at times deafeningly, pro-Federer; Djokovic was predictably edgy. After losing the first set in a tiebreaker, he faded in the second, before rallying to win the third. Federer’s level, meanwhile, stayed high throughout. He was approaching his 30th birthday, retirement age for past generations, but on this day he ran and slid and defended as brilliantly as ever.

He had to be that good to slow the Djokovic train before it ran him over. Turning the rallies in his favor with rifled forehands, Djokovic broke and served for the set at 5-4. If he held, the match, which had extended past 9:00 P.M., would have been completed the next day. But he didn’t hold. Federer fired a backhand winner to set up break point, and a forehand winner to convert it and level at 5-5.

In the tiebreaker, Federer again jumped out to a lead, and Djokovic again was forced to play catch-up. Federer hit an ace to reach 6-3; two points later, Djokovic responded with an ace to make it 5-6. Could Federer find one more serve that wouldn’t let Djokovic hit his world-best return? Could he end it now, and not have to come back the next day?

To the crowd’s thunderous delight, Federer curled a first serve down the T and past Djokovic’s outstretched racquet. The streak was over.

“It’s the best match I played all year,” Federer said. “There was a lot of pressure on Novak, but he handled it great. It was a pleasure playing against him.”

“These were the best months of my life, an incredible period,” Djokovic said. “It had to end some time. Unfortunately it came in a bad moment. A couple of points decided it.”

Federer punctuated the win with what may be the most famous finger wag in tennis history. Fans would spend weeks trying to interpret what he meant by it. In the end, though, the ultimate beneficiary was Nadal. Instead of having to face Djokovic, who was 4-0 against him that year, he faced Federer, and beat him for his 10th major title.