Player history

Novak Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987 in Belgrade, then part of Yugoslavia. His parents are Srdjan Dokovic and Dijana Zagar. He has two younger brothers, also tennis players: Marko Djokovic, who became 581st in the world, and Djordje Djokovic, who became 1463rd in the world. Nole begins to fall in love with tennis at the age of six when he sees tennis courts being built in front of his parents' pizzeria in the ski resort of Kopaonik. After the construction of the courts, he comes to Kopaonik as coach Jelena Gencic, a former professional tennis player and discoverer of the talent of Monica Seles.

Novak often positions himself in front of the court fence and watches the training sessions. After some training, Gencic realizes that he is a child prodigy and convinces his parents that he will become a great tennis player and to support his talent. She will be his coach in the first 5 years and contribute to the training of the Serbian champion, who will later gratefully declare that he learned a lot from her. It is her who convinces him to hit a two-handed backhand, and Djokovic gives up his idol Pete Sampras' one-handed backhand.

Even during the bombing of Belgrade by NATO during the war in Yugoslavia, Novak does not give up and continues his training. In July 2010 he then discovered that he was gluten intolerant. The person who makes him discover gluten intolerance. Novak is fluent in Serbian, English, French, German and Italian, as well as having basic skills in Spanish and Arabic.

Career

Djokovic is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, as well as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. With 21 successes in 32 finals, he is the second most successful tennis player in Grand Slam events in the men's singles field, behind only Rafael Nadal (22): 9 Australian Open (record), 7 Wimbledon, 3 US Open and 2 Roland Garros. He is also the only tennis player of the Open era, together with Rod Laver, to have won consecutively, even if not in the same calendar year, all four Grand Slam rounds, but the only one to achieve the feat out of three different surfaces. He is one of four tennis players who have won all the Majors at least twice, along with Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal.

With 65 successes in the men's singles, he leads the ranking of victories of the Big Titles, the most important and prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. In addition to the aforementioned 21 Grand Slams, he won 6 ATP Finals (a record shared with Roger Federer), of which 4 consecutive and 38 Masters 1000. In addition, he is the only tennis player to have won all nine Masters 1000 tournaments at least once in his career, a result that, starting from 2009, the ATP calls Career Golden Masters. In the aforementioned tournaments he has a record of 11 consecutive finals, from Paris 2014 to Miami 2016 (with 9 wins). He also won 15 ATP 500 and 12 ATP 250, 1 Davis Cup and 1 ATP Cup with the Serbian national team, 1 Laver Cup and the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

He closed the season as number 1 in the world 7 times (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021), also this absolute record. Furthermore, he is the tennis player who has spent the most weeks at the top of this ranking (373), of which 122 consecutive. With a prize pool of over $160 million, he is the highest earning athlete in tennis history. In 2008 Dokovic made his debut directly at the Australian Open. He reaches the final without having lost a set and after defeating in order Benjamin Becker, Simone Bolelli, Sam Querrey, Lleyton Hewitt, David Ferrer and defending champion Roger Federer. His opponent is the surprise of the tournament the French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. After a painful first set, with a foul and nervous Dokovic, the Serbian raises his level of play and manages to close the match, in his favor, at the tie-break of the fourth set. It is the first career Grand Slam title for the Serbian.

At the Roland Garros 2016, he reached his fourth career final by conceding just one set, in the round of 16 against Roberto Bautista Agut. In the final he defeated Andy Murray with a score of 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Thus he wins the only Grand Slam title still absent from his palmarès and conquers the Career Grand Slam. The last tennis player to win 4 consecutive Majors was Rod Laver in 1969. On 5 January 2022, Nole was stopped by the border police in Melbourne, where he had gone to participate in the Australian Open, due to irregularities on his entry visa relating to the rules for entering the country when not vaccinated against COVID. He is placed in solitary confinement in an immigrant hotel and his visa is cancelled. His first appeal in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is upheld.

False statements are found in the visa application, but Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke directly orders his expulsion from the country through a diplomatic act, defining Djokovic persona non grata whose stay in Australia would have resulted in a danger to the security of the country due to his reluctance to get vaccinated which could have generated emulations among Australian citizens, as prominent personalities in the world of sport. His second appeal to the Federal Court is rejected and the tennis player is forced to leave the country.

Dokovic returned to the field at Wimbledon, where he reached the final thanks to successes over Kwon, Kokkinakis, Kekmanović, van Rijthoven, Sinner and the British Norrie. For the Serbian it is the 32nd final in a Grand Slam tournament, the eighth in the London Slam and the fourth consecutive here since 2018. In the last act he defeats Kyrgios in four sets, conquering the seventh Championships, as well as the 21st Grand Slam.

At the beginning of 2023, it was announced that Djokovic will be able to participate in the Australian Open, while his exclusion from the US events 2023 is almost certain. The Serb won the Australian Open 2023 by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, winning hisd 10th Australian Open title and his 2nd Slam, reaching Rafael Nadal.

Style of play

Dokovic is a player capable of adapting to any surface and bases his game on a particularly athletic and aggressive conduct. His greatest strengths derive from his great athletic skills, which allow him to face even very long matches while maintaining a constant level of play, and from his great precision in returning to the opponent's serve, which allows him to obtain direct points in return. His groundstrokes, backhand and forehand, are powerful, deep and incisive. Extraordinary and uniquely recognized is his ability to maintain balance even in precarious situations, reach or split, managing to manage his movements in order to obtain the ideal impact with the ball.

The Serbian, in addition to his physical skills, he is also very strong mentally: he often cancels more than one matchpoint from his opponents and, taking advantage of the psychological breakdown suffered by the latter, he wins matches. A demonstration of this mental strength is the 2019 Wimbledon final, in which Nole annulled two match points in the fifth set tie break to Roger Federer, with almost all the audience in favor of the Swiss, to then win the longest final of the tournament history.

According to insiders, media, players, former players and coaches, his best shot is his return to serve, fundamental in which he is probably the best interpreter in the history of tennis. Thanks to this skill, Doković often manages to embarrass his opponents by making them lose his round of service, and thanks to these breaks Novak then wins the match.

The Big 3 and Rivalries

Novak Djokovic is part of the Big 3 with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Since the 2003 Australian Open, they have dominated the ATP Tour, winning 63 of 78 Grand Slam titles played up to the 2022 Wimbledon Championships (also reaching 70 Grand Slam finals during this period), with Nadal holding the record for total titles by all-time with 22 Grand Slam wins, followed by Djokovic with 21 and Federer with 20. Overall, they have won 12 US Opens, 17 Australian Opens, 17 Roland Garros and 17 Wimbledon.

The three have won 18 consecutive Grand Slams from 2005 Roland Garros to Wimbledon in 2009, 11 consecutive Grand Slams from 2010 Australian Open to 2012 Wimbledon, and 13 in a row from 2017 Australian Open to 2020 Australian Open. One of the Big Three is was the ATP No. 1 year-end every year from 2004 to 2021 except 2016 (17 of the last 18 years).

Together, they have occupied the top three positions in the ATP singles rankings at the end of the year eight times, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2019. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have completed the Career Grand Slam by winning all four tournaments at least once in their careers. Nadal also won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics by completing the Career Golden Slam, and both Nadal and Djokovic have won each Grand Slam tournament at least twice.

The Big Three hold the record for winning the four Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, the Masters 1000, and the ATP 500 overall. The 3 of them are also at the top of the Big Titles, the Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Finals, the Masters 1000 and the Olympics, with 65 successes for Djokovic, 59 for Nadal and 54 for Federer. In the ATP Finals, the Big Three have won 11 of 13 titles from 2003 to 2015 and 1 in 2022, with Federer and Djokovic each winning six (12 total). The three also played an integral role in leading their countries to Davis Cup victory.

Djokovic and Federer helped Serbia (in 2010) and Switzerland (in 2014) respectively to win the competition for the first time, while Nadal has guided Spain to five editions. Djokovic also managed to reach the final in the 2013 edition where, however, the Czech Republic prevailed. Djokovic and Nadal also faced each other in the final of the inaugural edition of the new ATP Cup in 2020 where Djokovic's Serbia prevailed.

Djokovic and Federer were number 1 in the ATP rankings for more than 300 weeks, while Nadal was number 1 for more than 200. They held the top spot in the rankings continuously from February 2, 2004 to November 7, 2016 and then for another 4 and a half years , from August 21, 2017 to February 28, 2022. Djokovic was world No. 1 for a record 373 weeks, Federer for 310 weeks, Nadal for 209. Federer was world No. 1 for a record-breaking 237 weeks absolute), Djokovic for 122 and Nadal for 56. 

Dokovic and Nadal first met in 2006 and have now played 59 matches, with the Serbian's match leading 30-29. Nole also has a noteworthy rivalry with Roger Federer, the two have faced each other 50 times. The balance is 27-23 in favor of the Serbian. The first meeting was held in 2006. The Serb also has a rivalry with the British Andy Murray. The two have met 36 times, with a balance of 25-11 in favor of the Serbian tennis player. The first meeting was held in 2006.

Privale life and relationships

In July 2014, Novak Dokovic marries Jelena Ristic, with whom he had been in a relationship since childhood. At the wedding, Jelena was already pregnant and a few months later she gives birth to Stefan. In 2017, they become parents of a daughter, Tara. He met his future wife in high school, and started dating her in 2005. The two got engaged in September 2013. The couple got married in Sveti Stefan in Montenegro, while a church wedding took place there, on July 12, 2014, in the church of St. Stephen, which belongs to the Praskvica monastery.

Net Worth

In his career, Novak has earned $220 million. The Serb became the first tennis player to win $100 million in prize money. Of those earnings, Djokovic took over $153 million in prize money. Djokovic has been sponsored by clothing brand Lacoste since 2017. He entered into a five-year contract with Lacoste by paying a premium to former sponsors, Uniqlo. Also, Nole wears ASICS shoes.

Among the various brands working as sponsors are Head, NetJets, Seiko Watch Corporation, Peugeot, Serbian telecommunications company Telekom Srbija, and German nutritional supplement brand FitLine and Ultimate Software. Nole has, together with his family, founded a company in Serbia called Family Sport. Registered as a limited liability company, the company was initially aimed at catering. Mainly managed by Novak's father and uncle Goran, over the years the company has also expanded into real estate, the organization of sporting or entertainment events and the distribution of sportswear. The company has also opened several thematic bars called Novak Café, but also some Novak Café & Restaurants in Belgrade.

Titles

2023 

Adelaide 1 (Outdoor/Hard)

2022 

Nitto ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
Astana (Indoor/Hard)
Tel Aviv (Indoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)

2021

ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
Roland Garros (Outdoor/Clay)
Belgrade 2 (Outdoor/Clay)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2020 

ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (Outdoor/Hard)
Dubai (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2019

ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
Tokyo (Outdoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Outdoor/Clay)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2018

ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (Outdoor/Hard)
US Open (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (Outdoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)

2017

Eastbourne (Outdoor/Grass)
Doha (Outdoor/Hard)

2016 

ATP Masters 1000 Canada (Outdoor/Hard)
Roland Garros (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)
Doha (Outdoor/Hard)

2015

ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (Outdoor/Hard)
Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
US Open (Outdoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2014

ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Outdoor/Hard)

2013

ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (Outdoor/Hard)
Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (Outdoor/Clay)
Dubai (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2012

ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (Outdoor/Hard)
Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Canada (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2011

US Open (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Canada (Outdoor/Hard)
Wimbledon (Outdoor/Grass)
ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Outdoor/Clay)
Belgrade (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Outdoor/Hard)
Dubai (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2010

Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
Dubai (Outdoor/Hard)

2009

ATP Masters 1000 Paris (Indoor/Hard)
Basel (Indoor/Hard)
Beijing (Outdoor/Hard)
Belgrade (Outdoor/Clay)
Dubai (Outdoor/Hard)

2008

Tennis Masters Cup (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Outdoor/Hard)
Australian Open (Outdoor/Hard)

2007

Vienna (Indoor/Hard)
ATP Masters 1000 Canada (Outdoor/Hard)
Estoril (Outdoor/Clay)
ATP Masters 1000 Miami (Outdoor/Hard)
Adelaide (Outdoor/Hard)
2006 2 Metz (Indoor/Hard)
Amersfoort (Outdoor/Clay)