Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was born on May 22,
1987, in Belgrade, Serbia (then part of Yugoslavia). He began playing tennis at
a young age, and by the time he was 12, he was already training at the Tennis
Academy of Nikola Pilic, one of the best tennis academies in Europe.
Djokovic turned professional in 2003
and began competing on the ATP Tour. He made his Grand Slam debut at the 2005
Australian Open, where he reached the third round. In 2006, he reached his
first ATP final in Amersfoort, Netherlands and he won his first ATP title in
2007 in Amersfoort again.
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam
title at the 2008 Australian Open, where he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the
final. This victory made him the youngest player to win the Australian Open
since Boris Becker in 1985. He then went on to win the 2011 Wimbledon
Championships and the 2011 US Open, becoming the first player since Rod Laver
in 1969 to win three Grand Slams in a calendar year.
From 2011 to 2016, Djokovic had a
period of dominance in men's tennis, where he won 12 Grand Slam titles, and he
reached the final of all Grand Slams. He reached his career-high ranking of No.
1 in the world in 2011 and held the top spot for over 300 weeks. During that
time, he also established a fierce rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer,
who were also dominating the men's game.
In 2016, Djokovic struggled with form
and injuries, and he had a dip in his performance which led to him losing his
No.1 ranking in November 2016. After taking some time off, he returned to the
tour in 2017 and he began to regain his form and he won his fourth Wimbledon
title in 2018. He also reached the finals of the US Open and French Open that
same year. In 2021, Djokovic achieved his 18th Grand Slam title at the
Australian Open, becoming the most successful male tennis player in the Open
Era.
Djokovic is not only known for his
tennis achievements, but also for his sportsmanship and his off-court
philanthropy and charity work. He has been involved in multiple charity and
humanitarian efforts, particularly in his home country of Serbia, and he is
also an advocate for environmental and animal rights issues.
