Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic
Новак Ђоковић

Djokovic at the Rod Laver Arena during the 2008 Australian Open where he won his first grand slam.
Country  Serbia and Montenegro
(2003–2006)
 Serbia (2006–present)
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born 22 May 1987 (1987-05-22) (age 24)
Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro 2003
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money

$31,042,760
Singles
Career record 393–109 (78.29%)
Career titles 28
Highest ranking No. 1 (4 July 2011)
Current ranking No. 1 (14 November 2011)[1]
Grand Slam results
Australian Open W (2008, 2011)
French Open SF (2007, 2008, 2011)
Wimbledon W (2011)
US Open W (2011)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals W (2008)
Olympic Games Bronze medal.svg Bronze Medal (2008)
Doubles
Career record 30–42 (41.67%)
Career titles 1
Highest ranking No. 114 (30 November 2009)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 1R (2006, 2007)
French Open 1R (2006)
Wimbledon 2R (2006)
US Open 1R (2006)
Last updated on: 19:40, 10 November 2011 (UTC).
Medal record
Men's Tennis
Competitor for  Serbia
Olympic Games
Bronze 2008 Beijing Singles

Novak Djokovic (Serbian: Новак Ђоковић, Novak Đoković pronounced [nɔ̂ʋaːk dʑɔ̂ːkɔʋitɕ] ( listen); born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked World No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open championships, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open. By winning three Majors in 2011, Djokovic became the sixth player in the open era to win three Majors in a calendar year. He is the first player representing Serbia to win a Major singles title and the youngest player in the open era to have reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events, separately and consecutively.[2] Amongst other titles, he won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2008 and was also on the team which won the 2010 Davis Cup. He is considered the best male tennis player to come out of the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. Djokovic is also a double winner of The Best Sportsperson of Serbia award and the award for The Best Sportsman by the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He has been awarded the Order of St. Sava, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Djokovic is a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia. He is the only player to defeat Nadal in two consecutive Grand Slam finals (2011 Wimbledon and 2011 US Open).

Contents

Biography

Novak was born 22 May 1987, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, to father Srđan (Срђан) and mother Dijana (Дијана). His two younger brothers, Marko and Đorđe (Ђорђе), are also tennis players with professional aspirations.[3] Since the end of 2005, Novak has dated Jelena Ristić.[4]

He started playing tennis at the age of four. In the summer 1993, the six-year-old was spotted by Yugoslav tennis legend Jelena Genčić[5] at Mount Kopaonik where Djokovic's parents ran a fast-food parlour.[6] Upon seeing the dedicated and talented youngster in action, she stated: "This is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles."[3] Genčić worked with young Djokovic over the following six years before realizing that, due to his rapid development, going abroad in search of increased level of competition was the best option for his future. To that end, she contacted Nikola Pilić, and in September 1999, the 12-year-old moved to the Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, spending four years there.[7] At age 14, he began his international career, winning European championships in singles, doubles, and team competition.[3]

He resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco and has been coached since 2006 by a former Slovak tennis player, Marián Vajda.[8]

Djokovic is known for his often humorous off-court impersonations of his fellow players, many of whom are his friends. This became evident to the tennis world after his 2007 US Open quarterfinal win over Carlos Moyà, where he entertained the audience with impersonations of Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova.[9] He also did an impression of American tennis great John McEnroe after his final preliminary game at the 2009 US Open, before playing a brief game with McEnroe, much to the delight of the audience. It is because of this jovial personality that he earned the nickname "Djoker", a portmanteau of his surname and the word joker. Novak Djokovic is a member of the "Champions for Peace" club, a group of famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.[10]

Similar to fellow pro Roger Federer, Djokovic is a self-described fan of languages, speaking four himself: his native Serbian, English, German, and Italian.[11][12]

Tennis career

Early career

As a member of the FR Yugoslavia national team, he reached the finals of the 2001 Junior Davis Cup for players under 14, in which he lost his match in singles.[13]

In the beginning of his professional career, Djokovic mainly played in Futures and Challenger tournaments, winning three of each type from 2003 to 2005. His first tour-level tournament was Umag in 2004, where he faced Filippo Volandri in the round of 32, and lost, 6–7, 1–6. He made his first Grand Slam tournament appearance by qualifying for the 2005 Australian Open, where he met Marat Safin, as his first round opponent and lost, 6–0, 6–2, 6–1. Safin went on to win the tournament.

2006

The decision for their entire five-person family to move from Serbia to live in Britain involved immense dedication.[14] All the rumours did not affect Djokovic's play. He soon reached the top 40 world ranking due to a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open, and reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Three weeks after Wimbledon, he won his maiden title at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort without losing a set, defeating Nicolás Massú in the final. Djokovic won his second career title at the Open de Moselle in Metz, and moved into the top 20 for the first time in his career.

2007

Djokovic began the year by winning the tournament in Adelaide, defeating Australian Chris Guccione in the final, before losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to eventual champion Roger Federer in straight sets. His performances at the Masters Series events in Indian Wells, California and Key Biscayne, Florida, where he was the runner-up and champion respectively, pushed him into the world's top 10. Djokovic lost the Indian Wells final to Rafael Nadal, but defeated Nadal in Key Biscayne in the quarterfinals before defeating Guillermo Cañas for the title in the finals.

Right after his first master series title, he went back home to contribute to his country's attempt to get into the World Group of the Davis Cup competition. Serbia faced off the Republic of Georgia, and Djokovic won a point by defeating Georgia's George Chanturia. This was a tournament where he prepared for the later clay court season. Djokovic played in the Masters Series Monte Carlo Open, where he was defeated by David Ferrer in the third round, and in the Estoril Open, where he defeated Richard Gasquet in the final. Djokovic then reached the quarterfinals of both the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome and the Masters Series Hamburg, but lost to Nadal and Carlos Moyà respectively. At the French Open, Djokovic reached his first Major semifinal, losing to eventual champion Nadal.

During Wimbledon, Djokovic won a five-hour quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis, 7-5 4-6 7-6 6-7 14-12 In his semifinal match against Berdych, he was forced to retire with elbow problems.

Djokovic at 2007 US Open

Djokovic went on to win the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Montreal. He defeated world no. 8Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, world no. 18 Gasquet in the semifinals, and world no. 1 Federer in the final. This was the first time a player had defeated the top three ranked players in one tournament since Boris Becker in 1994.[15] Djokovic was also only the second player, after Tomáš Berdych, to have defeated both Federer and Nadal since they became the top two players in the world. After this tournament, Björn Borg stated that Djokovic "is definitely a contender to win a Grand Slam (tournament)."[16] However, the following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Djokovic lost in the second round to Moyà in straight sets. Djokovic nevertheless reached the final of the US Open. Djokovic had five set points in the first set and two in the second set, but lost them all before losing the final to top-seeded Federer in straight sets. During the 2007 tournament, Djokovic emerged as a fan favorite with his on-court impressions of other players including Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.

Djokovic won his fifth title of the year at the BA-CA TennisTrophy in Vienna, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the final. His next tournament was the Mutua Madrileña Masters in Madrid, where he lost to David Nalbandian in the semifinals, 4–6, 6–7. Djokovic, assured of finishing the year as world no. 3, qualified for the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, but did not advance beyond the round robin matches.

He received a golden badge award for the best athlete in Serbia, and the Olympic Committee of Serbia declared him the best athlete.[17]

2008

Djokovic started the year by playing the Hopman Cup, along with fellow Serbian world no. 3 Jelena Janković. He won all his round-robin matches, and the team, seeded first, reached the final. They lost 1–2 to the second-seeded American team consisting of Serena Williams and Mardy Fish.

At the Australian Open, Djokovic reached the final without dropping a set, including a victory over two-time defending champion Roger Federer in the semifinals, to reach his second Major final in a row; by reaching the semifinals, Djokovic became the youngest player to have reached the semifinals in all four Majors. In the final, Djokovic then defeated unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to earn his and Serbia's first ever Grand Slam singles title in four sets, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6.[18] This marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a Grand Slam singles title was not won by Federer or Nadal.

Djokovic's next tournament was the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, where he lost in the semifinals to Andy Roddick.

Djokovic at the 2008 Pacific Life Open

At the Masters Series Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Djokovic won his ninth career singles title, defeating American Mardy Fish in the three-set final.

Djokovic won his tenth career singles title and fourth Master Series singles crown at the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome. The following week at the Hamburg Masters, Djokovic lost to Nadal in the semifinals. At the French Open, Djokovic was the third-seeded player behind Federer and Nadal. Djokovic lost to Nadal in the semifinals in straight sets.

On grass, Djokovic once again played Nadal, this time in the Artois Championships final in Queen's Club, London, losing 6–7, 5–7. At Wimbledon, Djokovic was the third seeded player; however, he lost in the second round to Marat Safin. This ended a streak of five consecutive Majors where he had reached at least the semifinals.

Winning the Masters Cup

Djokovic then failed to defend his 2007 singles title at the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Toronto. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eighth-seeded Andy Murray, 3–6, 6–7. The following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Djokovic advanced to the final, beating Nadal. In the final, he again lost to Murray in straight sets.

His next tournament was the Beijing Olympics, his first Olympics. He and Nenad Zimonjić, seeded second in men's doubles, were eliminated in the first round by the Czech pairing of Martin Damm and Pavel Vízner. Seeded third in singles, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Nadal, 4–6, 6–1, 4–6. Djokovic then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semifinal, in the bronze medal match, 6–3, 7–6.

After the Olympics, Djokovic entered the US Open as the third seed. Djokovic took several injury breaks during matches in the tournament, prompting a quip from Andy Roddick that the Serb has "16 injuries" including SARS, bird flu, and the common cold. He defeated Roddick in the quarterfinals, and in the post-match interview expressed disapproval of Roddick's comments, eliciting boos from the New York crowd. His run at the US Open ended in the semifinals when he lost to Federer, 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 2–6, in a rematch of the 2007 US Open final.

Djokovic played four tournaments after the US Open. In a rematch of the 2008 Australian Open final, he lost in the final of the Thailand Open to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets. In November, Djokovic was the second seed at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai because Nadal was unable to participate. In his first round-robin match, he defeated Argentine Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets. He then beat Nikolay Davydenko in three sets, before losing his final round robin match against Tsonga 6–1, 5–7, 1–6. Djokovic qualified for the semifinals, where he defeated Gilles Simon, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5. In the final, Djokovic defeated Davydenko again to win his first ever Tennis Masters Cup title.

2009

Djokovic started the year at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, where he was upset by Ernests Gulbis in the first round.[19] At the Medibank International in Sydney, he lost to Jarkko Nieminen in the semifinals. Djokovic would have risen to world no. 2 had he won the match.[20]

As defending champion at the Australian Open, Djokovic retired from his quarterfinal match with former world no. 1 Andy Roddick while he was trailing in the fourth set 7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 1–2, due to heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and soreness.[21] His retirement drew criticism from several players remaining in the tournament, including Roger Federer.[22]

After losing in the semifinals of the Open 13 tournament in Marseille to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Djokovic won the singles title at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating David Ferrer to claim his twelfth career title. The following week, Djokovic was the defending champion at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, but lost to Roddick in the quarterfinals 3–6, 2–6. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Djokovic beat Federer in the semifinals, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 before losing to Andy Murray in the final.

Djokovic during the 2009 US Open

Djokovic reached the final of the next ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on clay, losing to Rafael Nadal in the final. At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Djokovic was the defending champion, but again lost in the final after defeating Federer. This loss caused Djokovic's ranking to drop to world no. 4 on 11 May, ending 91 consecutive weeks at the number 3 ranking.[23]

Djokovic was the top seed at his hometown tournament, the Serbia Open in Belgrade. He defeated first-time finalist Łukasz Kubot to win his second title of the year.[24] As third seed at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, Djokovic advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set. There, he faced Nadal for the third time in five weeks and, despite holding three match points, lost 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 7–6(11–9). The match, at 4 hours and 3 minutes, was the longest three-set singles match on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era.[25] At the French Open, he lost in the third round to German Philipp Kohlschreiber 4–6, 4–6, 4–6.

Djokovic began his grass court season at the Gerry Weber Open where, after the withdrawal of Federer, he competed as the top seed. He advanced to the final, where he lost to German Tommy Haas.[26] Djokovic also lost to Haas in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 5–7, 6–7, 6–4, 3–6.[27]

During the US Open Series, Djokovic made the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, before losing to Andy Roddick 4–6, 6–7. The loss was his third of the year to Roddick. At the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Djokovic defeated world no. 3 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, 6–1, 6–4, to reach his second consecutive final at the event. He lost in the final to world no. 1 Roger Federer 1–6, 5–7.[28]

At the 2009 US Open, Djokovic made the semifinals, having dropped only two sets, defeating the likes of Ivan Ljubičić, 15th seed Radek Štěpánek and 10th seed Fernando Verdasco en route. He also won back the support of many from the American crowd (who had turned against him following his comments about Roddick in the 2008 US Open) with his off-court antics, including a lighthearted exhibition against John McEnroe after his victory over Stepanek. He lost, however, to Roger Federer in the semifinals in a hard-fought encounter, 6–7, 5–7, 5–7.[29]

Djokovic then took part at the China Open in Beijing. He defeated Victor Hănescu, Viktor Troicki, Fernando Verdasco, and Robin Söderling en route to the final, where he defeated Marin Čilić in straight sets, 6–2, 7–6 to win his third title of the year.[30] Djokovic regained the world no. 3 ranking on 19 October, as a result of his performance at this tournament and Andy Murray's withdrawal from the 2009 Shanghai Masters. At the inaugural Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to sixth seed and eventual champion Nikolay Davydenko, 6–4, 4–6, 6–7 in just over 3 hours.

At the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel, Djokovic recorded his first career double bagel, defeating Jan Hernych, 6–0, 6–0, to make it to the quarterfinals.[31] He then recovered from a set and break deficit to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarterfinals, 3–6, 7–6, 6–2. In the semifinals, he saved three match points to defeat Radek Štěpánek, 6–7, 7–5, 6–2. In the final, he defeated home favourite and three-time defending champion Roger Federer, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, to win his fourth title of the year.[32] With this win, Djokovic remained a perfect 15–0 at ATP World 500 tournaments in 2009.

At the last Masters 1000 event of the year at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, Djokovic finally won his first Masters 1000 title of the year. He defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–2, 6–3, in the semifinals in 77 minutes, hitting 31 winners in the match.[33] In the final, Djokovic held off several comebacks in the match from Gaël Monfils, eventually prevailing, 6–2, 5–7, 7–6.[34]

Coming into the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London as the defending champion, Djokovic defeated Nikolay Davydenko in his first round-robin match, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5, extending his winning streak to 11 matches.[35] His run was ended however in his second match, where a weary-looking Djokovic lost to the first time in six career meetings to Robin Söderling, 6–7, 1–6.[36] Despite victory over Rafael Nadal, 7–6, 6–3, in his final match, Djokovic failed to make the semifinals due to his percentage of sets won being inferior to that of Davydenko in a three-way tie between Söderling, Davydenko, and Djokovic (all three having finished the round-robin stage with a 2–1 win-loss record).[37]

Djokovic ended the year as the world no. 3 for the third consecutive year. Djokovic played 97 matches throughout the year, the most of any player on the ATP World Tour, with a 78–19 win-loss record. In addition to leading the ATP World Tour in match wins, he reached a career best 10 finals, winning 5 titles.

2010

Djokovic started his year by playing in the Kooyong Classic, an exhibition event. In his first match, he defeated Tommy Haas, but lost to Fernando Verdasco in his second.[38] Djokovic participated in an exhibition match against Australia's world no. 291 Bernard Tomic, which he lost.

At the Australian Open, Djokovic was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets, 6–7, 7–6, 6–1, 3–6, 1–6, struggling with illness both before the match and from the fourth set onwards.[39] Despite the loss, Djokovic attained a career-high ranking of world no. 2.

Djokovic at the 2010 Rogers Cup

He reached the semifinals of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, losing to Mikhail Youzhny, 6–7, 6–7, despite having set points in the second-set tiebreak. At the Dubai Tennis Championships in the U.A.E., Djokovic reached his second consecutive final at this event after beating all his opponents in three sets from the first round onwards. In the final, he defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny winning, 7–5, 5–7, 6–3, to win his first title of the year. This was the first time in his career that Djokovic had defended a title.[40]

He then took part in Serbia's Davis Cup tie against the USA on clay in Belgrade. He helped Serbia reach their first quarterfinal in the Davis Cup 3–2 victory, defeating Sam Querrey in four sets, and John Isner in five sets.

Djokovic then took part in the first Masters 1000 events of the year in North America. At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, he lost in the fourth round to the eventual champion Ivan Ljubičić, 5–7, 3–6. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, he suffered a shock loss, losing his opening match to Olivier Rochus, 2–6, 7–6, 4–6. This was his first opening-round defeat since losing to Fabrice Santoro at the 2007 BNP Paribas Masters. Djokovic then announced that he had ceased working with Todd Martin as his coach. He admitted that Martin had attempted to have him change his service motion, a tweaking of technique which caused him to routinely produce a high number of double faults in his matches and significantly reduced the threat on serve.[41]

In his first clay-court tournament of the year at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, top-seeded Djokovic reached the semifinals with wins over Stanislas Wawrinka and in-form David Nalbandian. There, he lost for the first time in his last five meetings to Fernando Verdasco, 2–6, 2–6. Djokovic again lost to Verdasco at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, this time in the quarterfinals, 6–7, 6–3, 4–6. Djokovic later said that his recent form had been hindered by allergies for the last two months.[42]

As the defending champion at his hometown event, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, he withdrew in the quarterfinals while trailing 4–6 to world no. 330, Filip Krajinović. He later announced his withdrawal from the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open because of illness.[43]

Djokovic entered the 2010 French Open seeded third. He defeated Evgeny Korolev, Kei Nishikori, Victor Hănescu, and Robby Ginepri en route to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Jürgen Melzer in five sets, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–7, 4–6. With Melzer serving for the match at 5–4 in the fifth set, Djokovic hit a cross-court forehand that would have given him a love–30 lead on the point. A late call confirmed by umpire Carlos Bernardes ruled it out, a call which Djokovic contested with Bernardes. Djokovic lost the point and the match. Later Hawk-Eye examination showed that Djokovic had been correct and the ball had indeed been in; it was the first time that Djokovic had lost a Grand Slam singles match after winning the first two sets.[44]

Djokovic once again entered the 2010 Wimbledon Championships as third seed, where he defeated Olivier Rochus, Taylor Dent, Alberto Montanes, Lleyton Hewitt, and Yen-Hsu Lu en route to the semifinals, where he lost to Tomáš Berdych in straight sets, 3–6, 6–7, 3–6.

Djokovic then competed at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, where he faced Roger Federer in the semifinals, losing 1–6, 6–3, 5–7. Djokovic also competed in doubles with Rafael Nadal in a one-time, high-profile partnership. That was first time since 1976, when Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe as world no.1 and no.2 paired up, making a doubles dream team.[45] However, they lost in the first round to Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. Djokovic lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati to Andy Roddick.

Djokovic during the Davis cup match against Czech Republic
Djokovic at the 2010 US Open

As the third seed at the US Open, Djokovic was very close to losing in the opening round, rallying from two sets to one down, a break in the fourth set, and several break points which would have put him down two breaks in the fourth set to beat countryman Viktor Troicki in extreme heat. Djokovic eventually won, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3. He then defeated Philipp Petzschner, Americans James Blake and Mardy Fish, and number 17 seed Gaël Monfils, all in straight sets to reach the US Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. In the semifinals, he faced Roger Federer, to whom he had lost the 2007 final and 2008 and 2009 semifinals. Very close to losing, Djokovic rallied to win 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5, saving two match points at 5–4 down on his serve in the final set. The win ended a streak of four consecutive losses in Grand Slam semifinals. It was also Djokovic's first victory over Federer at the US Open in four attempts, and his first victory over Federer in a Major since the 2008 Australian Open. It also made him one of only two players to hold more than one victory over Federer in Grand Slam tournaments since Federer first became world number 1 (the other being Nadal). Djokovic lost to Nadal, 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6, in the final, a match that saw Nadal complete his career Grand Slam.

After helping Serbia defeat the Czech Republic 3–2 to make it to the Davis Cup final, Djokovic competed at the China Open as the top seed and defending champion. He won the title for the second successive year, after defeating Maoxin Gong, Mardy Fish (the American withdrew so this win is considered a "walkover"), Gilles Simon, and John Isner en route to the final. Djokovic then defeated the eighth-seeded Spaniard, David Ferrer in the final, 6–2, 6–4.

At the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic made a semifinal appearance, losing to Roger Federer, 4–6, 5–7.

Djokovic played his final tournament of the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Djokovic was placed in Group A along with Rafael Nadal, Tomáš Berdych, and Andy Roddick. Djokovic won his first round-robin match against Berdych, 6–3, 6–3. He next faced Nadal, where he fell in straight sets, 5–7, 2–6. Djokovic stated after the match that he could barely see out of his right eye, and at 4–4 in the first set Djokovic had to change his contact lenses. Throughout the match, Djokovic used three different types of contact lenses in the match to try to settle the problem. He defeated Roddick 6–2, 6–3 in his final round-robin match and was safely through to the semifinals, finishing second in the group to set up a mouth-watering clash with Roger Federer. He lost to eventual champion Federer, 1–6, 4–6. Djokovic later went on win two of his singles rubbers in Serbia's Davis Cup finals victory over France; starting his unbeaten run that went on through 2011, and which was broken also by Federer on the French Open of the next year. Djokovic finished the year ranked world no. 3, his fourth successive finish at this position.

He was awarded the title "Serbian Sportsman of the year" by the Olympic Committee of Serbia[46] and "Serbian Athlete of the year" by DSL Sport.[47]

2011

Main article: 2011 Novak Djokovic tennis season
Djokovic holding the 2011 Australian Open trophy

In 2011, Djokovic started in the Australian exhibition Hopman Cup,playing with Ana Ivanovic,where he did not lose a match. Djokovic then moved on to the first Major of the year at the 2011 Australian Open, where he was seeded third behind Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer. He started off his Australian Open campaign by beating Marcel Granollers in the first round, and then moved on to play Ivan Dodig, defeating him in four sets, 7–5, 6–7, 6–0, 6–2. His Davis Cup teammate and close friend Viktor Troicki retired in the third round due to injury, with Djokovic leading 6–2. In the fourth round, he swiftly defeated Nicolas Almagro of Spain, again winning in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, he avenged his loss to Tomáš Berdych at the Wimbledon by winning, 6–1, 7–6, 6–1. He then beat defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets, 7–6, 7–5, 6–4, to reach the final, where he defeated Andy Murray, 6–4, 6–2, 6–3, for his second Australian Open championship and second Major win.

Djokovic's next tournament was the ATP World Tour 500 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships in the UAE, where he was seeded second. He was the two-time defending champion and favourite for the title alongside the first seed, Roger Federer. He dismissed Michaël Llodra in a lopsided first-round encounter, winning 6–3, 6–3. He reached the final after beating Lopez, Mayer, and Berdych (who retired). In the final, he beat Federer in two surprisingly lopsided sets, 6–3, 6–3, to complete his hat-trick of titles in Dubai.

Djokovic then played in the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, the first ATP Masters of the season, as the third seed. He advanced to the final by beating Roger Federer in the semifinals, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, to set up a clash with world no. 1 Rafael Nadal in the final. Djokovic continued his fine winning form by claiming the Indian Wells title, beating Nadal, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, and extending his winning streak since the ATP World Tour Finals to 20 consecutive matches. It also marked Djokovic's first victory over Nadal in a final.

By defeating Federer in the semifinals, his ranking rose to world no. 2 on 21 March 2011. Consequently, he was seeded second in the second ATP Masters tournament of the year at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Miami. Djokovic then succeeded in reaching his fourth consecutive final of the year, losing only eighteen games en route, where he beat Denis Istomin, 6–0, 6–1, James Blake, 6–2, 6–0, Viktor Troicki, 6–3, 6–2, Kevin Anderson, 6–4, 6–2, and Mardy Fish, 6–3, 6–1. In the final, Djokovic beat Nadal, 4–6, 6–3, 7–6, in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes. He is the first player to win the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami Masters triple, since Roger Federer did this in 2006.

Djokovic then withdrew from the 2011 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, citing a knee injury. Consequently, he opened his clay court season on home soil at the 2011 Serbia Open in Belgrade. As the first seed, he received a bye into the second round, where he defeated Adrian Ungur. In the quarterfinal, he defeated Blaž Kavčič, 6–3, 6–2. With the withdrawal of Janko Tipsarević in the semifinals, Djokovic reached his fifth consecutive final, where he beat Feliciano Lopez, 7–6, 6–2, in just over two hours.

His next tournament was the fourth ATP Masters of the year, the 2011 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open. As the second seed, he received a bye into the second round, where he defeated Kevin Anderson. In the third round, he demolished Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6–1, 6–2, winning 100 percent of points on his first serve. In the quarterfinals, Djokovic toughed it out against world no. 6 David Ferrer of Spain by winning 6–4, 4–6, 6–3. This win allowed Djokovic to surpass Ivan Lendl's record of 29–0 from the beginning of the season. He then defeated an in-form Thomaz Bellucci, 4–6, 6–4, 6–1, in the semifinals to set up a finals clash with world no. 1 Rafael Nadal. He then beat Nadal in straight sets, 7–5, 6–4.

Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title in 2011

He continued his winning streak at the Rome Masters, 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia by beating Lukasz Kubot, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Robin Söderling without dropping a set. In the semifinals, he beat Andy Murray, 6–1, 3–6, 7–6, in a thrilling match that Tennis Channel commentator Robbie Koenig said was the best of the year. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final for the fourth consecutive time in 2011, to extend his winning streak to 39 (and 37 from the beginning of the season).

In the French Open, Djokovic was seeded number 2 after Nadal. He defeated Thiemo de Bakker, Victor Hanescu, Juan Martin del Potro, and Richard Gasquet, dropping only one set to reach the quarterfinals. Djokovic was due to play against Fabio Fognini of Italy, but his opponent withdrew from the competition, giving Djokovic a walkover (not an official victory). Djokovic's winning streak ended in the semifinals at 43 matches (41 occurring in 2011), with a four-set loss to Roger Federer, 6–7, 3–6, 6–3, 6–7.

At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, he defeated Jeremy Chardy, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, Michaël Llodra, and Bernard Tomic to reach his fifth consecutive Grand Slam semifinal.[48] He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to make his first appearance in the final. By reaching the final, Djokovic ensured that he would become the world no. 1 for the first time in his career at the tournament's end, even if Nadal won the championship. Djokovic then defeated Nadal in four sets, 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3, to win his first Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam singles title overall.[49] It was Djokovic's fifth consecutive win over Nadal, all of them in finals, and it was his first victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament on his sixth attempt.[50]

At the 2011 Rogers Cup, Djokovic was seeded as no. 1. He managed to defeat Nikolay Davydenko in his first game of the tournament. He met Marin Cilic in the next round and won to mark his 50th victory of the season.[51] With a remarkable performance in the quarterfinals, he beat Gaël Monfils, 6–2, 6–1, then made the final after beating the other French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals. He defeated Mardy Fish in the final to win his 10th ATP Masters title and became the first player to win five of them in a single season. He also became the first player since Pete Sampras (in 1993) to capture an ATP tournament in a debut as the top-ranked player in the world.[52] The next week, he began his Western & Southern Open well, beating the 19-year-old American Ryan Harrison, 6–2, 6–3. In the third round, he defeated Radek Stepanek, 6–3, 6–3. In a highly-contested quarterfinal match, Djokovic beat Gael Monfils, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3. He faced Tomas Berdych in the semifinal. Djokovic won the first set 7–5 after being down a break, and won the match immediately thereafter when Berdych retired with a shoulder injury. In his sixth Masters 1000 final of the year, he suffered only his second loss of the season to Andy Murray, where he had to retire after trailing 4–6, 0–3 due to fatigue and a shoulder injury.

In the US Open, the last Major of the year, Djokovic was the top seed for the first time in a major competition. He won against Conor Niland in the first round by taking the first set 6–0 and was leading in the second set 5–1 when Niland was forced to retire due to food poisoning. In the next round, Djokovic defeated Argentine player Carlos Berlocq in a 6–0, 6–0, 6–2 dominant win. Then Djokovic won against Nikolay Davydenko and reached the quarterfinals, in which he faced Alexandr Dolgopolov and won in a three-set match, with a 16–14 first-set tie-break. He then played against compatriot Janko Tipsarevic for a place in the semifinals, and was leading 3–0 in the fourth set when Tipsarevic retired with a left hamstring injury. In the semifinals, Djokovic survived an epic contest by clawing back a two-set deficit and fending off two match points in the fifth set to defeat Roger Federer for the fourth time this season 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. Djokovic's daring crosscourt forehand service return winner when down double match point on the Federer serve at 5-3 40-15 in the fifth set received much media coverage. Tennis legend John McEnroe called it "one of the great all-time shots in tennis history."[53] Djokovic dethroned the defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final in four sets, 6–2, 6–4, 6–7, 6–1, to win his first US Open after being a runner-up on two previous occasions .[54][55] Despite the scoreline, the match was one of the most physical battles played this year lasting a brutal 4 hours and 10 minutes. Djokovic required a medical time-out early in the fourth set, after winning the first game of the set.[56] By winning this US Open, Djokovic claimed his 10th title this season and became only the sixth male tennis player to win three majors in a calendar year. He also became the second player to beat both Federer and Nadal on his way to winning a Major. The first to do so was Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2009 US Open.[57] Djokovic also received $2.3 million in prize money for the event and as a result, set a record for the most prize money won in a season ($10,609,318 as of 13 September) with there still being two months of the season remaining.[58] Finally, Djokovic became the first player to win a title on his Grand Slam tournament debut as No. 1 since Jim Courier captured the Roland Garros crown in 1992.[58] Following this victory, Djokovic all but secured the year-end No. 1 ranking.[59] Pete Sampras declared Djokovic's season as the best he has ever seen in his lifetime, calling it "one of the best achievements in all of sports."[60] On October 13, 2011, Djokovic officially clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.[61] Djokovic next played in Basel, Switzerland and made it through to the semi-finals where he was upset by Japanese player Kei Nishikori in three sets.

Davis Cup

In 2006, Djokovic got the decisive win on 9 April, against Great Britain by defeating Greg Rusedski in four sets in the fourth match, giving his team an unsurmountable 3–1 lead in their best-of-five series, thus keeping Serbia and Montenegro in the Group One Euro/African Zone of Davis Cup. Following this match-up, a lot of media buzz appeared about Djokovic's camp negotiating with the Lawn Tennis Association about changing his international loyalty by joining British tennis ranks.[14] Nineteen-year-old Djokovic, who was no.63 on the ATP list at the time, mostly dismissed the story at first by saying that the talks were not serious, describing them as "the British being very kind to us after the Davis Cup".[62] However, more than three years later, in October 2009, Djokovic confirmed that the talks between his family and the LTA throughout April and May 2006, were indeed serious:

Britain was offering me a lot of opportunities and they needed someone because Andy [Murray] was the only one, and still is. That had to be a disappointment for all the money they invest. But I didn't need the money as much as I had done. I had begun to make some for myself, enough to afford to travel with a coach, and I said, 'Why the heck?' I am Serbian, I am proud of being a Serbian, I didn't want to spoil that just because another country had better conditions. If I had played for Great Britain, of course I would have played exactly as I do for my country but deep inside, I would never have felt that I belonged. I was the one who took the decision.[63]

By winning all three of his matches, Djokovic played a key role in the 2007 play-off win over Australia, promoting the Serbia Davis Cup team to World Group in 2008. In Serbia's tie against Russia in early 2008, in Moscow, Djokovic was sidelined due to influenza and was forced to miss his first singles match. He returned to win his doubles match, teaming with Nenad Zimonjić, before being forced to retire during his singles match with Nikolay Davydenko. Djokovic also had a big role in promoting Serbia to the 2009 World Group. On 6–8 March 2010, he played the key role in bringing Serbia to World Group quarterfinals for the first time in its independent history, winning both singles matches in the home tie against United States (against Sam Querrey and John Isner). Later, Serbia progressed to the Davis Cup final, following the victories over Croatia (4–1) and Czech Republic (3–2). Serbia came from 1–2 down to defeat France in the final tie 3–2 in Belgrade to win the nation's first Davis Cup Championship. In the final, Djokovic scored two singles points for Serbia, defeating Gilles Simon and Gaël Monfils.[64] He was the backbone of the Serbian squad, going 7–0 in singles rubbers to lead the nation to the title, although the honour of winning the deciding rubber in the final went to compatriot Viktor Troicki.

In the semi finals of the 2011 Davis Cup Djokovic played a crucial rubber match for Serbia against Juan Martin Del Potro playing for Argentina, which he lost 6-7, 0-3 having to retire due to a back injury sustained during the US Open tournament, which secured Argentina's place in the final defeating Serbia 3-2. This marked Djokovic's third loss of his 2011 season, and his second retirement.[65]

Rivalries

Djokovic–Nadal rivalry

Main article: Djokovic–Nadal rivalry

Djokovic and Nadal have met 29 times (which is the sixth-most head-to-head meetings in the Open Era)[58] with Nadal having a 16–13 advantage.[66] Nadal leads on grass 2–1 and clay 9–2, but Djokovic leads on hard courts 10–5.[66] This rivalry is listed as the third greatest rivalry in the last decade by ATPworldtour.com[67] and is considered by many to be the emerging rivalry.[68][69] Djokovic is the only player to have at least ten match wins against Nadal and the only person to defeat Nadal six times consecutively and consecutively on clay.[70] The two share the record for the longest match played in a best of three sets (4 hours and 2 minutes), at the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open semi-finals. In the 2011 Wimbledon final, Djokovic won in four sets 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3, which was his first victory over Nadal in a Major on his sixth attempt.[71] By doing so, he became the only person other than Federer to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament final. This rivalry is part of the "Trivalry" (a term coined by American sportscaster Mary Carillo), which includes the rivalries among the top three in tennis (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic).[72] In their most recent encounter, Djokovic defeated Nadal in the 2011 US Open Final 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 to capture his third major title of the year and fourth overall. By beating Nadal, Djokovic became the second player to defeat Nadal in more than one Grand Slam final (the other being Federer), and the only player to beat Nadal in a Slam final on a surface other than grass.

Djokovic-Federer rivalry

Djokovic and Federer have met 24 times, with Federer leading 14–10. Federer leads on all surfaces on which the two have played (they have never met on grass). Djokovic is the only player other than Nadal who has defeated Federer in consecutive grand slam tournament matches.[citation needed] The quality of the matches they play is outstanding and is usually classified with matches played between Nadal and Federer. Federer ended Djokovic's 41-match winning start to the 2011 season at the 2011 French Open semi-finals which many consider to be a classic match.[73] Djokovic played Federer in his first Major final at the 2007 US Open and lost in three tight sets (6-7, 6-7, 4-6) after squandering five set points in the first set and two more in the second.[74] Djokovic has the second-most wins against Federer (after Nadal). The two have met five years in a row at the US Open with their last two meetings at the tournament in 2010 and 2011 not only being at the semi-final stage, but also being five-set epics with Djokovic saving two match points before going on to win on both occasions. In the 2011 US Open semi-final, Djokovic's daring crosscourt forehand service return winner when down double match point on the Federer serve in the fifth set was called by tennis legend John McEnroe "one of the great all-time shots in tennis history."[53]

Djokovic-Murray rivalry

Djokovic and Murray have met 10 times with Djokovic leading 6–4. Djokovic leads 2–0 on clay, and the players are tied 4–4 on hard courts. The two went to training camp together, and Murray won the first match they ever played as teenagers. The pair have met four times in finals, with Murray leading 3-1, however, their most important final, and indeed match, was the 2011 Australian Open final, in which Djokovic won comfortably in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. The other three finals were all ATP Masters 1000 finals, Murray won them all in straight sets, with the most recent being in Cincinnati 2011 (Murray won after Djokovic retired with a shoulder injury trailing by a set and a break). The loss marked only the second of the season for Djokovic.

Playing style and equipment

Djokovic is an all-court player with emphasis on aggressive baseline play.[75] His groundstrokes from both wings are consistent, deep, and penetrating. His backhand is widely regarded as the best in today's game. His best weapon is his backhand down the line, with great pace and precision. He is also known as one of the greatest movers on the court with superior agility, court coverage and defensive ability. After great technical difficulties during the 2009 season, his serve is one of his major weapons again, winning him many free points; his first serve is typically hit flat, while he prefers to slice and kick his second serves wide.[75] Darren Cahill has stated that Djokovic, along with David Ferrer, is the best returner of serve in the men's game. Occasionally, Djokovic employs a well-disguised backhand underspin drop shot and sliced backhand. His drop shots still tend to be a drawback when hit under pressure and without proper preparation.[76]

Entering the pro circuit, Djokovic used Wilson rackets, continuing so until the end of 2008. At that time, he switched to Head rackets, using a custom paint job of the Head YouTek Speed Pro racquet. Starting with 2011 Australian Open, he began using Head's YouTek IG Speed MP 18/20. Djokovic uses a hybrid of Head Natural Gut in the mains and Luxilon Alu Power in the crosses.

After his 2011 victory in Montreal, tennis coach Nick Bollettieri stated that Djokovic is the most "complete" player of all time.[77] He has the backhand, forehand, serve, second serve, movement, mentality, and can play equally well on any surface. In assessing his 2011 season, Jimmy Connors said that Djokovic gives his opponents problems by playing "a little bit old-school, taking the ball earlier, catching the ball on the rise, (and) driving the ball flat." Connors adds that a lot of the topspin that Djokovic's opponents drive at him comes right into his zone, thus his ability to turn defense into offense well.[78] Pat Cash declared that Djokovic's performance in the 2011 season puts him among the best players in history. "I feel Djokovic is better than Federer in his prime because he has greater opposition," Cash stated.[79]

Coaching and personal team

From fall 2005 until June 2006, Djokovic was coached by Riccardo Piatti who divided his time between the 18-year-old and Ivan Ljubičić. Player and coach reportedly parted ways over the latter's refusal to devote to Djokovic full time.[80]

Since June 2006, Djokovic has been coached by Slovakian former professional tennis player Marián Vajda. They met for the first time during that year's French Open, after which Vajda got hired to be the 19-year-old's coach. On occasion Djokovic employed additional coaches on part-time basis: in 2007, during the spring hardcourt season, he worked with Australian doubles ace Mark Woodforde with specific emphasis on volleys and net play while from August 2009 until April 2010 American Todd Martin joined the coaching team, a period marked by his ill-fated attempt to change Djokovic's serve motion.[81]

In July 2010, before the Davis Cup clash away at Croatia, Djokovic made another addition to his team - nutritionist Igor Četojević who additionally focuses on Chinese medicine and does acupuncture.[82] He discovered the tennis player suffers from Celiac Disease and cannot eat gluten, purging it from his diet. It appeared to have worked as Djokovic began feeling stronger, quicker, and much more fit. After Djokovic's Wimbledon win in July 2011, Četojević left the team.[83]

Sponsorships and business ventures

Djokovic endorses Serbian telecommunications company Telekom Srbija and German nutritional supplement brand FitLine.[84]

Since turning professional in 2003, Djokovic wore Adidas clothing and footwear. At the end of 2009, Djokovic signed a 10-year deal with the Italian clothing company Sergio Tacchini after Adidas refused to extend his clothing contract (choosing instead to sign Andy Murray). Since Sergio Tacchini doesn't make shoes, he continued with Adidas as his choice of footwear. From 2011, Djokovic began to wear custom Red and Blue Adidas Barricade 6.0's shoes, referring to the colours of the Serbian national flag.

Djokovic did television commercial spots and print ads for supermarket chain Idea, the Serbian arm of Croatian supermarket retailer Konzum.

In August 2011, Djokovic became the brand ambassador of Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet.[85] Less than a month later, Djokovic signed a sponsorship deal with German car company Mercedes-Benz.[86]

The business end of Djokovic's career was initially handled by Israeli managers Amit Naor and Allon Khakshouri. In June 2008, he signed with CAA Sports.[87]

Investments

In 2005, as Djokovic moved up the tennis rankings, his family founded a legal entity in Serbia named Family Sport. Registered as a limited liability company, its initial focus was the restaurant business. As Novak's tennis earnings increased, the company whose day-to-day operations are mostly handled by Novak's father Srdjan and uncle Goran expanded its activities into real estate, sports/entertainment event organization, and sports apparel distribution.

The company's initial holdings consisted of a Kopaonik-located pizzeria and crêpe parlour called Red Bull, which predates the company itself. As Djokovic built a name for himself on the professional circuit, the company opened two theme cafés named Novak Café - one in Kraljevo (since closed) and one in Kragujevac - as well as Novak Café & Restaurant in the Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd.

On 7 December 2007, after both 2007 ATP and WTA seasons ended, Family Sport organized NAJJ Srbije exhibition event at Belgrade Arena, conceptualized as the celebration of recent Serbian tennis players' success. In addition to Djokovic, three other Serbian tennis players - Ana Ivanović, Jelena Janković, and Janko Tipsarević - took part, including local celebrity guests such as actor Nikola Đuričko and band Van Gogh.[88] The 20,000 seat arena was packed with fans, including the country's president Boris Tadić in attendance.

In February 2008, the company reached an agreement with local authorities in the city of Kragujevac about jointly entering into a real estate development deal that was to include 4 hectares of city-owned land at Veliki Park being developed into a tennis center with 14 courts. Almost simultaneously, in March 2008, the company won a municipal authority-organized tender in Novi Beograd by submitting an €11 million bid for the 3.8 hectares of land located in Ivan Ribar neighbourhood;[89] with the initial ambitious plan being to build another tennis center there in addition to the one planned in Kragujevac.[90]

During August 2008, in Novi Beograd, Family Sport opened Novak Shop, sports apparel store devoted to Novak Djokovic.[91] As Djokovic switched from Wilson to Head equipment to start the 2009 tennis season, Family Sport became the official importer and distributor of Head equipment for Serbia.

By 2009, despite assurances from both Family Sport and Kragujevac mayor Verko Stevanović that things will go ahead as planned,[92] the Kragujevac deal stalled and the company turned its focus back to Belgrade as they managed to buy an ATP tournament known as the Dutch Open and bring it to Serbia where it became - Serbia Open. However, since no construction had taken place on either the Ivan Ribar site or the Kragujevac's Veliki Park site, they had to find a new location for the tournament. With the help of Belgrade city authorities, the tournament's inaugural edition was thus held during May 2009 at the city-owned 'Milan Gale Muškatirović' courts, located at an attractive spot in Dorćol neighbourhood surrounded by Kalemegdan Park, the Belgrade Fortress, Nebojša Tower, and the confluence of Sava river into Danube. For the tournament needs, existing clay courts were refurbished with temporary stands added in addition to constructing a low-rise building adjacent to the main court.[93] Later on in 2009, Novak Café & Restaurant (second one in Belgrade), as well as a spa and a gym were opened in the said building. For the tournament editions in subsequent years, the refurbished tennis complex was renamed Novak Tennis Center. In 2010, Novak Shop got moved from its original location into the center.

Ahead of the 2010 tennis season when Djokovic signed with Sergio Tacchini after getting dropped by Adidas, the terms of the contract with the Chinese-owned Italian clothing manufacturer included Family Sport becoming the official Sergio Tacchini apparel distributor for South Eastern Europe.

In February 2010, almost two years after buying the land in Novi Beograd, the company announced detailed plans for a tennis center that is to also include a hotel, restaurants, and a shopping area.[94] As the Novi Beograd plans were unveiled, speculation appeared that Family Sport wants to pull out of the Kragujevac deal. One month later in March, rumours proved true as the company announced it is pulling out of Kragujevac deal due to "political pressure in the municipality".[95] In fall 2010, the company once again reaffirmed its commitment and intention to build a world-class tennis center in Novi Beograd.[96] As of fall 2011, construction is yet to commence.

On Monday, 4 July 2011, one day after Djokovic won Wimbledon, Family Sport organized the homecoming reception in front of the National Assembly building with more than 80,000 people gathering to greet him.[97] The event that among other things featured performances from musical acts such as Električni Orgazam, Tap 011, Miroslav Ilić, and Vlado Georgiev was offered as a television package to Serbian networks and broadcast live in prime time on Prva television network with national coverage in Serbia, which bought the rights for the event.[98]

Grand Slam tournaments

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline

To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the 2011 US Open.

Tournament 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 SR W–L Win %
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A A 1R 1R 4R W QF QF W 2 / 7 25–5 83.33
French Open A A 2R QF SF SF 3R QF SF 0 / 7 25–7 78.12
Wimbledon A A 3R 4R SF 2R QF SF W 1 / 7 27–6 81.81
US Open A A 3R 3R F SF SF F W 1 / 7 33–6 84.62
Win–Loss 0–0 0–0 5–4 9–4 19–4 18–3 15–4 19–4 25–1 0–0 4 / 28 110–24 82.1

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 6 (4–2)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 2007 US Open Hard Switzerland Roger Federer 6–7(4–7), 6–7(2–7), 4–6
Winner 2008 Australian Open Hard France Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(7–2)
Runner-up 2010 US Open (2) Hard Spain Rafael Nadal 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6
Winner 2011 Australian Open (2) Hard United Kingdom Andy Murray 6–4, 6–2, 6–3
Winner 2011 Wimbledon Grass Spain Rafael Nadal 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3
Winner 2011 US Open Hard Spain Rafael Nadal 6–2, 6–4, 6–7(3–7), 6–1

Career statistics

Main article: Novak Djokovic career statistics

Novak Djokovic is one of only four players (David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal being the other three) to beat Roger Federer three times in one calendar year, and one of only two players (Juan Martin Del Potro being the other) to beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam in consecutive matches. He is also one of four players (Nalbandian, Murray and Nikolay Davydenko being the other) to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament twice, accomplishing that feat when he won the 2011 Indian Wells Masters 1000 event. He is also the youngest player in the Open Era to defeat the top three players in succession and he achieved this when he defeated world number three Andy Roddick, world number two Nadal, and World number one Federer in the 2007 Rogers Cup. He is one of only two players to have defeated Federer at the semifinal stage or later on more than one occasion in Grand Slam tournaments, and also at consecutive tournaments (the other being Nadal).

Djokovic was the runner-up at the 2007 and 2010 US Open tournaments (to Federer and Nadal, respectively), and a bronze medalist representing Serbia at the 2008 Olympic Games. In addition, Djokovic won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2008, and has won ten Masters Series tournaments, five only in 2011, a record. In 2010, he led Serbia to win the Davis Cup. Djokovic finished the ATP Tour as World No. three for four consecutive years between 2007 and 2010.

From the 2010 Davis Cup finals to the 2011 French Open, Djokovic had a 43-match win streak, third only to Guillermo Vilas (46 matches in 1977) and Ivan Lendl (44 matches in 1981/1982).[99][100] This includes titles at the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells Masters, Miami Masters, Serbia Open, Madrid Masters, and the Rome Masters. He won 41 straight matches from the start of 2011 until the French Open semi-finals (where he was beaten by Roger Federer),[100] second only to John McEnroe's record (he started 42–0 in 1984[101]).

Awards and honours

Order of Saint Sava

Order of Saint Sava

On 28 April 2011, in Belgrade, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Djokovic the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The order was given to him because he demonstrated love for the church, and because he provided assistance to the Serbian people, churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Kosovo and Metohija.[102]

List of awards

2005
2006
  • ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
  • Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
2007
2008
  • Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
2009
  • Best Male Tennis Player In Serbia
  • Oscar Of Popularity Best Male Athlete
2010
  • Best Male Tennis Player In Serbia
  • Best Sportsman by Olympic Committee of Serbia
  • Golden Badge of DSL Sport
  • Oscar Of Popularity Best Male Athlete
2011

Records

Tournament Year Record accomplished Player tied
Australian Open – French Open – Wimbledon – US Open 2007–2008 Youngest player to have reached the semi-finals of all four Majors (20 years, 250 days old) Stands alone
Australian Open – Indian Wells Masters – Miami Masters 2011 Winning the hard court treble Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer
Grand slams 2007–2008 Youngest player to reach all Grand Slam semifinals in succession (20 years, 250 days old) Stands alone
Grand slams 2011 Winning 3 Grand Slams in a calendar year Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors
ATP World Tour 2011 Fastest player to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals – 18 weeks, 6 days Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most titles in a season – 5 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most titles in events entered in a season – 5 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most consecutive titles – 3 Rafael Nadal
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Longest winning streak – 31 Stands alone
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most finals in a season – 6 Roger Federer
Madrid Masters 2009 Longest best-of-three sets men's singles match ever played (4 hours, 3 minutes)[103] Rafael Nadal
Dubai Tennis Open Championships 2009–2011 Most consecutive titles – 3 Roger Federer
Serbia Open 2011 Most titles – 2 Stands alone
Canada Masters 2007 Youngest player to defeat the top 3 players in succession Stands alone
Miami Masters 2007 Youngest male champion (19 years, 316 days old) Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2007–2009 Most consecutive weeks at world number 3 – 91 Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2011 Longest winning streak in finals vs. a current World no.1 in any season (Rafael Nadal – 5) (also defeated Nadal at 2011 US Open, where rankings were by then reversed) Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2011 Most prize money in one season ($10,779,803) Stands alone

Off the Court

In popular culture

In 2009, and 2010, Djokovic won Oscar Of Popularity for the most popular male athlete in Serbia.[104]

He was a special guest in the first semi-final of Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. He threw a big tennis ball into the crowd, announcing the start of voting. Together with presenter of the show Željko Joksimović, Djokovic sang a song about Belgrade.[105]

Djokovic is also featured in the music video for the song "Hello" by Martin Solveig and Dragonette. The video, filmed at Stade Roland Garros, shows Solveig facing off against Bob Sinclar, another DJ, in a tennis match. When the referee calls a crucial ball "Out", Djokovic enters the arena and convinces the referee otherwise.[106]

In 2010, Serbian blues-rock band Zona B recorded the song "The Joker", dedicating it to Djokovic.[107][108]

On 25 June 2011, its seventieth Congress in Chicago, all the members unanimously awarded Djokovic the Order of Serbian National Defense in America I class, the highest decoration of the SND. The order was given to him because of his merits in the international sport scene and his contributions to the reputation of Serbs and Serbia around the world.[109]

Owing to his extroverted personality, fluency in several languages, and willingness to go along with comedic concepts, Djokovic became a fixture on entertainment-based TV talk shows around the globe immediately upon achieving a measure of prominence via results on the tennis court. After winning the Australian Open, his first major, in early 2008, Djokovic appeared on American late-night programme The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Throughout spring 2009, during ATP Master Series tournaments in Madrid and Rome, respectively, the Serb was a guest on Pablo Motos' show El Hormiguero[110] followed by an appearance on the Fiorello Show hosted by Italian comedian Rosario Fiorello.[111] Djokovic's television appearances particularly intensified during his amazing run of form throughout 2011: after winning Wimbledon and reaching number one spot on the ATP list, he again appeared on Leno's Tonight Show as well as on Conan O'Brien's show on TBS. Djokovic's dramatic win at the US Open was followed by another television blitz including spots on Live with Regis and Kelly, CBS' The Early Show, NBC's Today as well as a walk-on appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In mid-November 2011, he made a triumphant return to Rai 1's Fiorello Show.

He was voted the 19th most influential man on AskMen.com's Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2011.

Personal life

Novak is a Serbian Orthodox Christian. On 28 April 2011, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Novak the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church, because he demonstrated love for the church, and because he provided assistance to the Serbian people, churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Kosovo and Metohija.[102]

He is a keen fan of Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade[112] and Italian Serie A side A.C. Milan.[113]

Novak is fluent in Serbian, English, German and Italian.

See also

References

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Further reading

External links

v · d · eNovak Djokovic
Entourage
Marko Djokovic (brother) • Marián Vajda (coach)
Career
Seasons
2011
 Novak Djokovic (Achievement precedessor & successor)
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Spain Rafael Nadal		 World No. 1
July 4, 2011 – present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by
Spain Rafael Nadal		 ATP Most Improved Player
2006, 2007		 Succeeded by
France Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Preceded by
Olivera Jevtić
Nađa Higl		 Serbia The Best Athlete of Serbia
2007
2010		 Succeeded by
Milorad Čavić
Incumbent
Preceded by
New title		 Serbian Oscar Of Popularity
Sportsman of the Year
2009, 2010		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Spain Rafael Nadal		 ATP Player of the Year
2011		 Succeeded by
Incumbent



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