Novak Djokovic in 1991
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| Novak Djokovic in 1991 |
The best tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, took a racquet in his hands for the first time when he was four years old. It was summer, and one of the best tennis coaches Jelena Gencic, was holding a training camp. Every day Novak came by and watched the trainings. Then, one day, Jelena invited him on court. He accepted, and started playing tennis.
“I knew he would become a champion. It was crystal clear to me. He was focused, conscientious, and above all, talented.” – Jelena Gencic
Although he enjoyed skiing, and even football, it was tennis that won him over – as well as Pete Sampras whose game on the court Novak fully absorbed.
“It was destiny. If something in your life is meant to be, then it’s meant to be!” – Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic in 1999
While still in elementary school, instead of staying in schoolyard to play with other kids, Novak was running back home to get ready for his tennis sessions. Rain, snow or holidays – nothing could have stopped him from hitting balls with his tennis coach, Jelena. In one moment, when he made an enormous move forward, Jelena advised Novak’s parents: “If you want him to keep progressing, he has to leave the country”.
At that time, a difficult economic and political situation was looming over Serbia. The decision to let Novak move to Germany was difficult, but it was the only logical thing to do. As a 13-year-old boy, Novak went to Munich, to train at the academy run by renowned tennis coach Nikola Pilic.
“From the first day Novak arrived to the camp it was amazing how focused on tennis he was. I never liked predicting if someone would succeed or not, but with Novak I knew he would be the best.” – Nikola Pilic
During the next four years, Novak traveled from Serbia to Niki Pilic Tennis Academy to practice. The first year he went to Germany he stayed there for two months, then the next three months he was back at home in Serbia, and then again he went back to Germany for a month. Going back and forth as a way of living went on for some time until he started achieving great results on the court.
Novak Djokovic in 2001
Golden year for, at that time, 14-year-old Novak. He ended the year as a triple European champion in singles, doubles and in team competition – while also winning the silver medal at the World Junior Championship in a team competition for Yugoslavia.
Career of Novak Djokovic in 2002
Novak Djokovic became the European champion in a category under 16 years. He won prestigious tournaments such as: “La Boule” and “La Poet” in France, Prince’s Cup in Miami under 18, as well as ITF tournament in Pancevo, where he beat rivals who were up to three years older than him.
After five ITF tournaments he played, Novak became 40th best junior tennis player in the world.
Career of Novak Djokovic in 2003
The season began for Novak with the finals at the ITF tournament in Nurnberg. Djokovic then went on to win another gold medal for his country. In the French city of Latne he competed together with his teammates, under the leadership of a team captain Jovan Lilic, and became Europe’s best player under 16 years. Novak won six out of six matches he played.
This year was a special year in Novak’s professional life. He also earned his first ATP points by winning at the Futures tournament hosted by tennis club “Red Star”.
Career of Novak Djokovic in 2004
He played for the first time for a national Davis Cup team in a tie against Latvia. At that time he was ranked 606. He won a point for Serbia and Montenegro by winning against Janis Skroderis.
Novak won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Budapest, where he started as a qualifier. He triumphed in Serbia F5 futures tournament and another ATP challenger event in Aachen, Germany.
Novak Djokovic finished the season ’04 as 184th player on the ATP list.
Novak Djokovic in 2005
Year in which Novak turned his focus on playing bigger ATP events. In Australia, he qualified for the first time to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam. Later that year, he won another ATP challenger event in San Remo, after which he won his first round match on Roland Garros. He also qualified on Wimbledon and reached 3rd round. These experiences helped him to move up the rankings and he entered for the first time top 100. He reached 3rd round on US Open.
In Paris Bercy, on his last tournament of the year, he beat Mariano Puerta, at that time the 9th player in the world, and reached the third round. This enabled him to finish the season ranked as 78th.
Tennis Career of Novak Djokovic in 2006
He won his first ATP tournament in the Dutch city of Amersfoort, from which his family, later on, bought the ATP licence for holding Serbia open tournament in Belgrade. Immediately after that Novak took another title in Metz. This allowed him to become the youngest player in the top 20.
Novak Djokovic also played his first ever Grand Slam quarterfinal that year at Roland Garros. He finished the season ranked 16th in the world.
In the middle of the year he started working with tennis coach Marian Vajda from Slovakia.
Tennis Career of Novak Djokovic in 2007
Season of Novak’s great success started by winning a title in Adelaide.
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| Novak Holding Runner up US Open Trophy |
Novak played quarter-finals in Australian Open, semi-finals in Rotterdam, finals in the US open and Indian Wells, which brought him to top 10. It was in Miami where he finally broke the reign of the two rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. When he beat Nadal, Murray and Canas, and became the youngest player who conquered Key Biscayne, the entire tennis world realized that the new champion has come to the stage.
Few weeks later he won the Estoril tournament. He played semi-finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and started the American tour by winning his second masters title in Montreal, beating the top three players on the way to the title: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick. This trophy led him to number 3 in the world, which he held for 91 consecutive weeks – true tennis record.
At the US Open he made his first Grand Slam final, where he lost to Roger Federer.
Later that season Novak secured Serbia’s historic place in the World group of Davis Cup competition, after which he won his 5th title in 2007, in Vienna.
Novak Djokovic Tennis Career in 2008
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| Novak Won First Grandslam |
Novak won his first Grand Slam title – the Australian open, beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga in the finals and losing only one set throughout the whole tournament. After that success, he won another three big trophies – Masters tournaments in Indian Wells, Rome, and Shanghai (Masters Cup).
Novak also won the bronze medal for his country on the Olympic games held in Beijing.
Tennis Career of Novak Djokovic in 2009
Year of great achievements – ten ATP finals and five titles: Dubai, Beijing, Basel, and Paris. However, Novak’s certainly most cherished title is the one he won in his hometown, Belgrade, where the first ever ATP tournament in Serbia was held.
Djokovic was runner-up in Cincinnati, Rome, Monte Carlo, Miami and Halle, but these tournaments contributed for Novak to finish this season as number 3 in the world, coming closer to No. 2 – bridge to dream comes true.
Novak Djokovic in the Year 2010
He climbed to the number 2 spot in ATP rankings, defended the title from Dubai, won the tournament in Beijing and reached semi-finals of Wimbledon and finals of US Open.
The most memorable moment of the season and the turning point in Novak’s career was the group effort of Serbian national team to clench the Davis Cup trophy for Serbia for the first time in history. Novak, Viktor Troicki, Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic, led by team captain Bogdan Obradovic, beat USA that year, as well as Croatia, Czech Republic and France, becoming the World champions. It was the greatest success of the Serbian team tennis in the history.
As a confirmation of Novak’s enduring and devoted work, as well as his undeniable talent, the year of 2011 arrived. It was just a matter of time when “the golden year” would happen.
Novak Djokovic Tennis Career in the Year 2011
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| First Wimbledon Win |
Novak Djokovic had an impressive winning streak – 43 matches won in a row. There is no active player in the world that managed to achieve such a run. In his best shape, Novak arrived to London, at Wimbledon.
There and then, in a span of just several days he fulfilled his childhood dreams. At the same time he lifted the Wimbledon trophy, and became the number one tennis player in the world,
“I still think this is all a dream” – Novak Djokovic at the magnificent reception in Belgrade, where 100.000 fans greeted him.
That year he had impressive score against top 10 players, won 5/6 Master Series finals, won most titles at Masters 1000 tournaments in one season (5), most consecutive wins at Masters tournaments (31).
After London, Novak stepped up even faster: he won Montreal, and then US open – his fourth Grand Slam trophy.
Novak Djokovic in the Year 2012
Novak began this season in a convincing manner at Australian open, where he first prevalied over Andy Murray in a tough semi final match that lasted 4 hours and 50 minutes. Then he won against Rafael Nadal in the finals, in the encounter, which went on for six hours. It was the longest final match in the Grand Slam history (5 hours and 53 minutes).
Novak received the Sportsman of the Year Laureus Award – the most prestigious sports award voted by the Academy consisting of the biggest sport legends of all time.
The Republic of Serbia awarded him the top state honor in the country, “Karadjordjeva Star Medal”, for special merits and success in representing Serbia.
Novak won Miami without losing a set – he beat Murray in the finals. With this success he joined Agassi and Sampras as the only players who won this tournament for three or more times. Furthermore, it was his 30th title in career, and 11th Masters Series title.
In April, Novak was named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 most influential people in the world, following a phenomenal year in which he displaced Federer and Nadal at the top of the men’s game.
Clay court season followed, with Nole playing finals in Monte Carlo, Rome and – for the first time in his career – at Roland Garros.
At the end of May, Novak was appointed a global brand Ambassador of one of the world’s most prestigious brands, the Japanese clothing and sports equipment manufacturer UNIQLO.
Nole maintained his standing atop the ATP Rankings for an entire year, putting together the fourth-longest run at no.1 since making his debut at the top position. He was stopped in attempt to defend his Wimbledon title, falling to eventual champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
After the third Grand Slam of the season, Nole won the ESPY Best Male Tennis Player award for achievements in the past calendar year.
At the London 2012 Olympics, Novak was a flag bearer for Serbia. In the bronze medal match he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro, finishing 4th.
He successively defended his Rogers Cup title beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2 to lift the Canadian Masters trophy for the third time, and then finished runner-up in Cincinnati for the fourth time in five years.
Djokovic reached his third consecutive US Open final at Flushing Meadows. He fell to Andy Murray in five sets in the title match.
Two days after the USO, Novak Djokovic Foundation raised $1,400,000 for children at inaugural benefit dinner held in New York.
Novak compiled a perfect 10-0 record clinching back-to-back titles in Asia, and by winning the Shanghai Rolex Masters, he became the first player to win seven of nine current Masters 1000 events. He saved five match points before defeating two-time defending champion Andy Murray, 5-7, 7-6 (11), 6-3 in a blockbuster final.
Nole reclaimed the world no.1 ranking on November 5.
He was awarded two exceptional honours for 2012 season: Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year, which acknowledges outstanding humanitarian contribution, and ATP World Tour No.1 award (determined by South African Airways ATP Rankings).
On November 12, he won the 2012 ATP World Tour Finals by defeating Roger Federer 7-6 (6), 7-5 in a dramatic final of the season-ending event in London.
The Serbian star clinched the year-end no.1 ranking for a second straight year. He is the first player to finish no.1 in back-to-back seasons since Roger Federer from 2004-07 and the ninth player to accomplish the feat since 1973.
Year 2013 of Novak Djokovic in Tennis Career
Novak made history on January 27, 2013, by becoming the first man in the Open Era to win three successive Australian Open titles! He defeated no.3 seed Andy Murray 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 and added the victory to his triumphs in 2008, 2011 and 2012 to tie the Open Era record for most titles in Melbourne with Agassi and Federer (4). Nole captured his 35th career trophy and sixth Grand Slam championship.
Nole continued his run of form in Dubai, where he won his fourth Dubai Duty Free Championships crown. He beat no.3 seed Czech Tomas Berdych in the final 7-5, 6-3.
Novak ended Rafael Nadal’s eight-year reign in Monte Carlo when he beat him in the finals 6-2, 7-6 (1) to win his first title at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay court event, and became the only player to capture eight different Masters crowns.
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