Novak Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player, born in Belgrade on 22 May 1987. He has won over 80 singles titles, including 20 Grand Slams, has spent more than 350 weeks as world number 1, and is widely considered to be one of the best male players of all time.
📜 Novak Djokovic History
Growing up, Novak Djokovic idolised American tennis legend Pete Sampras, and began playing tennis at the age of 4. He developed rapidly, and moved to Germany as a child to train more rigorously. He turned professional in 2003, and made his ATP-level debut in 2004. Just as he did when he was a child, the Serbian improved incredibly quickly; at the beginning of the 2006 season he was ranked just inside the top-80, but after picking-up his first ATP tournament wins he ended the year ranked 16th in the world. In 2007, he broke into the top-10, and then the top-5.
Djokovic won his first grand slam title in 2008, at the Australian Open. It would be the first of nearly 10 singles trophy for the Serb in Melbourne, but he had to wait until 2011 to add to his grand slam tally: that year Djokovic triumphed at the Australian Open, and then at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as becoming world number 1 for the first time, in one of the best seasons a male tennis player has ever had.
Since 2011, Djokovic has cemented himself as one of the most consistent sportspeople in the world. Since 2011 he has won at least 1 Grand Slam event every year except 2017, he has held all 4 grand slams at the same time, and only 3 other men have also won all top-tier events more than once. He currently has a winning record against Rafael Nadal, and had a winning record against Roger Federer prior to the Swiss' retirement.
In 2023, Djokovic's 10-year unbeaten run on Wimbledon's Centre Court was ended by Carlos Alcaraz, in the final of the men's singles draw.
Djokovic excels on every surface, but many of his major titles have come on hard court. His game is incredibly well-rounded, with no notable weaknesses. His fitness, athleticism, and flexibility are second-to-none, and his steely on-court determination means he stays in matches until the final point. His best shots are his down-the-line backhand and his fantastic return of serve. He is well-known for finding incredible angles on shots, and using his speed, agility, and dexterity to craft shots that many players would not be capable of - often with a trademark slide along the court.
