Novak Djokovic
 | |
| Country |  Serbia and Montenegro (2003–06) Serbia (2006–present) |
|---|---|
| Residence | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Born | 22 May 1987 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 | $28,572,275 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 386–107 (78.29%) |
| Career titles | 27 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (4 July 2011) |
| Current ranking | No. 1 (29 August 2011)[1] |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | W (2008, 2011) |
| French Open | SF (2007, 2008, 2011) |
| Wimbledon | W (2011) |
| US Open | F (2007, 2010) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2008) |
| Olympic Games |  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: 22:46, 8 September 2011 (UTC). | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Tennis | ||
| Competitor for Serbia | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2008 Beijing | Singles |
listen); born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player who is ranked the World No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) since 4 July 2011. He has won three Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open championships and the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title and the youngest player in the open era to have reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam events, separately and consecutively.[2] Amongst other major titles, he is also the winner of the 2010 Davis Cup.He is considered the best male tennis player to ever come out of Serbia, the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. Djokovic is also a double winner of The Best Sportperson of Serbia award and the award for The Best Sportsman by the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He has been awarded with the Order of St. Sava, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Djokovic is a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia.
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[edit] Biography
Novak Djokovic was born 22 May 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, 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 been dating Jelena Ristić (Јелена Ристић).[citation needed]He started playing tennis at the age of four. In the summer 1993, the six-year-old got spotted by Yugoslav tennis legend Jelena Genčić[4] at Mount Kopaonik where Djokovic's parents ran a fast-food parlour.[5] Upon seeing the dedicated and talented youngster in action she stated: "This is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles."[6] 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 is the best option for his future. To that end she contacted Nikola Pilić and in September 1999, the 12-year-old moved to Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, spending three months there. At age 14, his international career began, winning European championships in singles, doubles, and team competition.[6]
He resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco and has been coached since 2006 by a former Slovak tennis player, Marián Vajda.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9]
Similar to fellow pro Roger Federer, Djokovic is a self described fan of languages, speaking four himself: his native Serbian, English, German, and Italian.[10][11]
[edit] Tennis career
[edit] Early career
As a member of the FR Yugoslavia national team he reached the finals of 2001 Junior Davis Cup for players under 14, in which he lost his match in singles.[12]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 appearance by qualifying for the 2005 Australian Open where he met Marat Safin, as his first round opponent which he lost 6–0, 6–2, 6–1. Safin went on to win the tournament.
[edit] 2006
The possibility for their entire 5-person family to move from Serbia to live in Britain involved immense dedication.[13] 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 a fourth round appearance 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.
[edit] 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 ten. 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 for his country's attempt to get into the World Group of the Davis Cup competition. Serbia faced off the Republic of Georgia and Djokovic brought 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 quarter-finals 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 Grand Slam semifinal, losing to eventual champion Nadal.
During Wimbledon, Djokovic won a five-hour quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis 7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5. In his semifinal match against Nadal, he was forced to retire with back and foot problems.
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 6–4, 7–6. 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 Olympic Committee of Serbia has declared for the best sportsman.[16]
[edit] 2008
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 Grand Slam final in a row; by reaching the semifinals, Djokovic became the youngest player to have reached the semifinals in all four grand slams. 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.[17] 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 result was at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, lost in the semi-finals to Andy Roddick.
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 semi-finals. At the French Open in Paris, 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 7–6, 7–5. 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 grand slams where he had reached at least the semifinals.
His next tournament was the Beijing Olympics, his first Summer 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, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4. Djokovic then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semi-final, 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 with 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 6–3, 5–7, 7–5, 6–2 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 due to Nadal being 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 1–6, 7–5, 6–1. Djokovic qualified for the semi-finals, 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.
[edit] 2009
Djokovic started the year at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia, where he was upset by Ernests Gulbis in the first round. At the Medibank International in Sydney, he lost to Jarkko Nieminen in the semi-finals. Djokovic would have risen to World No. 2 had he won the match.[citation needed]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 6–7, 6–4, 6–2, 2–1, due to heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and soreness.[18] His retirement drew criticism from several players remaining in the tournament, including Roger Federer.[19]
After losing in the semi-finals 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 quarter-finals 6–3, 6–2. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Djokovic beat Federer in the semi-finals 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 before losing to Andy Murray in the final.
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.[21] As third seed at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals without dropping a set. There he faced Nadal for the third time in five weeks and, despite holding three match points, lost 3–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(11–9). The match, at 4 hours and 3 minutes, is the longest three-set singles match on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era.[22] At the French Open, he lost in the third round to German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.
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.[23] Djokovic also lost to Haas in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 7–5, 7–6, 4–6, 6–3.[24]
During the US Open Series, Djokovic made the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal before losing to Andy Roddick 6–4, 7–6. 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 semi-finals, 6–1, 6–4, to reach his second consecutive final at the event. He lost in the final to World No. 1 Roger Federer 6–1, 7–5.[25]
At the 2009 US Open, Djokovic made the semi-finals having dropping 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 semis in a hard fought encounter, 7–6, 7–5, 7–5.[26]
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.[27] 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 semi-finals 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 quarter-finals.[28] He then recovered from a set and break deficit to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals, 3–6, 7–6, 6–2. In the semi-finals, 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.[29] 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 semi-finals in 77 minutes hitting 31 winners en route.[30] In the final, Djokovic held off several comebacks in the match from Gaël Monfils, eventually prevailing, 6–2, 5–7, 7–6.[31]
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.[32] His run was ended however in his second match, where a weary looking Djokovic lost to the first time in 6 career meetings to Robin Söderling 7–6, 6–1.[33] Despite victory over Rafael Nadal 7–6, 6–3, in his final match, Djokovic failed to make the semi-finals 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).[34]
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.
[edit] 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.[35] Djokovic participated in an exhibition match against Australia's World No. 291 Bernard Tomic in which he lost.At the Australian Open, Djokovic was eliminated in the quarter-finals 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.[36] Despite the loss, Djokovic attained a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
He then took part in Serbia's Davis Cup tie against the USA on clay in Belgrade. He helped Serbia reach their first quarter-final 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.[38]
In his first clay-court tournament of the year at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, top seeded Djokovic reached the semi-finals 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 quarter-finals, 6–7, 6–3, 4–6. Djokovic later said that his recent form had been hindered by allergies for the last two months.[39]
As the defending champion at his hometown event, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, he withdrew in the quarter-finals while trailing 4–6 to the World No. 330, Filip Krajinović. He later announced his withdrawal from the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open because of illness.[40]
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 3–6, 2–6, 6–2, 7–6, 6–4. 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.[41]
Djokovic once again entered the 2010 Wimbledon Championships as third seed, he defeated Olivier Rochus, Taylor Dent, Alberto Montanes, Lleyton Hewitt, and Yen-Hsu Lu en route to the semi-finals, where he lost to Tomáš Berdych in straight sets, 6–3 7–6 6–3.
Djokovic then competed at the Rogers Cup in Toronto where he faced Roger Federer in the semifinals losing 6–1, 3–6, 7–5. Djokovic also competed in the doubles with Rafael Nadal in a one-time, high profile partnership. That was first time, after 1976. when Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe as World No.1 and No.2 paired up making a double dream team.[42] 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.
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 semi-final 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 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 semi-finals, 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[43] and "Serbian Athlete of the year" by DSL Sport.[44]
[edit] 2011
Djokovic's next tournament was at the ATP World Tour 500 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships in 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 then 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 hattrick of titles (in other words, winning the tournament three consecutive times) in Dubai.
Djokovic then played in 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 in the final and extending his winning streak since the ATP World Tour Finals to 20 consecutive matches.
By defeating Federer in the semi-finals, 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 to reach 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. By this victory, Djokovic extended his winning streak to 26 consecutive matches and has yet to lose a singles match in the season. He is also the first player to win the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami Masters triple, since Roger Federer succeeded 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 receives a bye into the second round, where he defeated Adrian Ungur 6–2, 6–3 to open up his clay campaign. In the quarter-final, he defeated Blaž Kavčič 6–3, 6–2. With the withdrawal of Janko Tipsarević in the semi-finals, Djokovic reached his fifth consecutive final where he beat Feliciano Lopez 7–6, 6–2, in just over two hours. This brought his winning streak to 29 (and 27 from the beginning of this season).
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 6–3, 6–4. In the third round, he demolished Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6–1, 6–2 winning 100% of points on his first serve. In the quarter-finals, 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 final clash with World No. 1 Rafael Nadal. He then beat Nadal in straight sets 7–5, 6–4, extending his win streak to 34 (and 32 from the beginning of the season).
In the French Open, Djokovic was seeded number two 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.[45] 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.[46] 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 after six attempts.[47]
At the 2011 Rogers Cup Djokovic was seeded as number one. He managed to defeat Nikolay Davydenko in his first game of the tournament which was, also, his first competitive match since his Wimbledon triumph. He met Marin Cilic in the next round and won to mark his 50th victory of the season.[48] With a remarkable performance in the quarter-final, he beat Gaël Monfils 6–2, 6–1, then made the final after beating the other French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis. 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.[49] The next week he began his run into the 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. At the 2011 US Open in the first round Djokovic managed to go through Conor Niland winning the first set 6–0 and eventually leading in the second set 5–1 before Niland was forced to retire due to food poisoning. In the second round Djokovic defeated Argnetine player Carlos Berlocq in a 6–0, 6–0, 6–2 dominant win. In the third round, Djokovic won against Nikolay Davydenko 6–3, 6–4, 6–2, and in fourth round he beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 7–6, 6–4, 6–2, with a 16–14 first set tie-break. He then faced compatriot Janko Tipsarevic for a place in the semi-finals. With Djokovic leading 7–6, 6–7, 6–0, 3–0, Tipsarevic retired with a left hamstring injury.
[edit] 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 insurmountable 3–1 lead in their best of 5 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.[13] 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".[50] 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.[51] | ” |
[edit] Rivalries
Djokovic-Nadal rivalryDjokovic and Nadal have met 28 times with Nadal having a 16–12 advantage.[53] Nadal leads on grass 2–1 and clay 9–2, but Djokovic leads on hard courts 9–5.[53] This rivalry is listed as the third greatest rivalry in the last decade by ATPworldtour.com[54] and is considered by many to be the emerging rivalry.[55][56] Djokovic is the only player to have at least ten match wins against Nadal and the only person to defeat Nadal four or more times consecutively and consecutively on clay.[57] The two share the record for the longest match played in a best of three sets, at the 2009 Madrid Open. In their most recent encounter, 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 Grand Slam in his sixth attempt.[58] By doing so, he became the only person other than Federer to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam final. This rivalry is part of the "Trivalry" (a term coined by American sportscaster Mary Carillo) which includes the rivalries between the top three in tennis (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic).[59]
Djokovic-Federer rivalry
Djokovic and Federer have met 23 times, with Federer leading 14–9. Federer leads on all surfaces the two have played on (they have never met on grass). Djokovic is the only player other than Nadal who has defeated Federer in consecutive grand slam matches. Federer ended Djokovic's 41-match winning start to the 2011 season at the 2011 French Open semifinals. Djokovic played Federer in his first Grand Slam finals match losing to Roger in three tough sets in 2007. He followed that with a straight sets win over Federer in the Australian Open in 2008 becoming the first player to defeat Federer in straight sets since he became number one in 2004. Djokovic has the second-most wins against Federer (after Nadal). The two have always played excellent matches and the 2010 US Open semifinal and the 2011 French Open semifinal are regarded as classics; the latter is considered one of the best matches in history.[citation needed]
Djokovic-Murray rivalry
Djokovic and Murray have met 10 times with Djokovic leading 6–4. Djokovic leads 2–0 on clay and tied 4–4 on hard courts. The two went to training camp together, and Murray won the first match they ever played as teenagers. Their most important match was the 2011 Australian Open final, in which Djokovic won comfortably in straight sets. Murray won his first ATP Masters 1000 title of 2011 at Cincinnati (his second Masters 1000 title won at Cincinnati, the other being in 2008 where he also defeated Djokovic in the final) after Djokovic retired from the match trailing by one set.[citation needed]
[edit] Playing style, equipment and diet
Djokovic is an all-court player with emphasis on aggressive baseline play.[60] His groundstrokes from both wings are consistent, deep, and penetrating. His backhand is widely regarded as one of 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.[60] Darren Cahill has stated that Djokovic, along with David Ferrer, is the best returner of serve in the men's game. Occasionally, Djokovic employs excessive ball-bouncing before serves – much to the chagrin of some of his opponents – as well as a well-disguised backhand underspin drop shot and sliced backhand. While his ball-bouncing habit has vastly decreased over the last year,[when?] his drop shots still tend to be a drawback when hit under pressure and without proper preparation.[61]Djokovic used Head rackets, utilizing a custom paint job of the Head YouTek Speed Pro racquet, after using Wilson until the end of 2008. In the 2011 Australian Open, he began using a custom PJ of the Head YouTek IG Speed MP 18/20 with Innegra fibre technology. Djokovic uses a full bed of X-One Biphase 17 (a multifilament). 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). 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.
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.[62]
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.[63]
In 2010, the latest addition to Djokovic's team, nutritionist Igor Četojević discovered the tennis player suffers from Celiac Disease and cannot eat gluten, purging it from his diet.
[edit] Grand Slam tournaments
[edit] 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 Wimbledon.| Tournament | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 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 | 0 / 6 | 26–6 | 81.25 | |
| Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5–4 | 9–4 | 19–4 | 18–3 | 15–4 | 19–4 | 18–1 | 3 / 27 | 103–24 | 81.1 |
[edit] Grand Slam tournament finals
[edit] Singles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 2007 | US Open | Hard |  Roger Federer | 6–7(4–7), 6–7(2–7), 4–6 |
| Winner | 2008 | Australian Open | Hard |  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(7–2) |
| Runner-up | 2010 | US Open (2) | Hard |  Rafael Nadal | 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 2011 | Australian Open (2) | Hard |  Andy Murray | 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 2011 | Wimbledon | Grass | Rafael Nadal | 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
[edit] 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. 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).[64][65] 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),[65] second only to John McEnroe's record (he started 42–0 in 1984[66]).
[edit] Awards and honours
[edit] Order of Saint Sava
[edit] List of awards
- 2005
- Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia and Montenegro
- 2006
- ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
- Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
- 2007
- ATP Most Improved Player of the Year
- Best Male Tennis Player in Serbia
- Best Sportsman by Olympic Committee of Serbia
- Golden Badge of DSL Sport
- 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
- Order of St. Sava – First Class
- UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
[edit] Records
- These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
| 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 Grand Slams | Stands alone |
| Australian Open – French Open – Wimbledon – US Open | 2007–2008 | Youngest player to have reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in succession | Stands alone |
| Miami Masters | 2007 | Youngest player to win Men's Championship (19 years, ten months) | Stands alone |
| Canada Masters | 2007 | Youngest player to defeat the top 3 players in succession | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Most titles in a season – 5 | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Most consecutive titles – 3 | Rafael Nadal |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Most consecutive titles in events entered – 5 | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Longest winning streak – 31 | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Most consecutive finals in a season – 6 | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2011 | Most finals in a season – 6 | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour | 2011 | Fastest player to qualify for the World Tour Finals – 18 weeks, 6 days | Stands alone |
| ATP World Tour | 2011 | Having a 100% winning record against the World no.1 (Rafael Nadal) in finals in one season – 5 | Stands alone |
| Madrid Masters | 2009 | Longest best-of-three sets men's singles match ever played (4 hours, 3 minutes) | Rafael Nadal |
| Australian Open – Indian Wells Masters – Miami Masters | 2011 | Winner of the first "Big 3" tournaments in one season | Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras |
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | 2007–2011 | Reach the most of different finals (8/9) | Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | 2009–2011 | Consecutive titles won- 3 | Roger Federer |
[edit] Off the Court
[edit] In popular culture
In 2009, and 2010, Djokovic won Oscar Of Popularity for the most popular male athlete in Serbia.[68]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.[69]
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.[70]
In 2010, Serbian blues-rock band Zona B recorded the song "The Joker", dedicating it to Djokovic.[71][72]
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 contribution to the reputation of the Serbs and the Serbian country in the World.[73]
[edit] 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.[67]He is a keen fan of Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade[74] and Italian Serie A side A.C. Milan.[75]
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