Breaking boundaries: Novak Djokovic’s rise to Tennis Immortality

Novak Djokovic has made a name for himself in world tennis, winning recognition as one of the best players on the planet. He has been ranked No. 1 for a record of 428 weeks in a record 13 different years by the ATP. He has won a record 24 Grand Slam men’s singles titles including a record 10 Australian Open titles, he is the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam. He is the only player in singles to have won all of the Big titles throughout his career. Djokovic found a way to prominence in an era when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal seemed to leave no room for anyone else. Here we will take a look at his journey to become the World’s best:

Early and Personal Life

Djokovic started playing tennis at four and quickly advanced through the junior levels. Despite the difficulties of growing up in war-torn Serbia in the 1990s, he emerged as the top-ranked 14-and-under player in Europe and later became the continent’s number one 16-and-under player, turning professional in 2003.

Djokovic began his journey by competing in the ATP Challenger Series and Futures tournaments, but his rapid success soon propelled him to larger stages. Shortly after joining the ATP World Tour, he broke into the top 100 at just 18 years old, claiming his first ATP title in July 2006. Within a year, he had already cracked the top 10 after winning his first Masters Series title in Montreal.

In 2007, Djokovic reached the semifinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. He also came close to capturing his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in New York but fell to Federer in straight sets. Djokovic’s momentum carried into 2008 when he claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, making history as the first Serbian man to win one of tennis’s four major singles championships. That same year, he secured a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Djokovic’s Career

He found it challenging to stay in the spotlight over the next two years, but he returned stronger in 2011. After leading Serbia to its first Davis Cup victory in late 2010, Nole used that momentum to make his breakthrough. Djokovic was unstoppable at the start of 2011, embarking on a 43-match winning streak that included a victory at the Australian Open. Although his streak was halted by Federer in the French Open semifinals, he quickly rebounded, winning both Wimbledon and the US Open, which propelled him to the top of the rankings.

In 2015, Djokovic secured his fifth Australian Open title, becoming the Open era’s all-time leader in men’s singles championships at the tournament. After a loss in the French Open final, he triumphed at Wimbledon and the US Open, defeating Federer in both finals to claim his 10th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 21 matches by winning the 2016 Australian Open and later captured his first French Open title, completing a career Grand Slam. He reached the 2016 US Open final but lost to Stan Wawrinka in four sets.

Breakout Year

After struggling with an elbow injury in 2017, Djokovic made a triumphant return in 2018, capturing major titles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He continued his dominance in 2019 by further solidifying his record as the most successful player in Australian Open history. In 2021, Djokovic kept pace with Federer and Nadal, winning the first three Grand Slam tournaments of the year and matching their record of 20 major titles.

Djokovic tied the record for Grand Slam titles, which he shared with Federer and Nadal. Later that year, he entered the U.S. Open with hopes of becoming the third male player in history to win all four Grand Slam events in a single calendar year. Despite a strong run to the finals, Djokovic’s bid for this historic achievement fell short as he was defeated in straight sets by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

Controversy

Djokovic’s choice to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 barred him from competing for the 2022 Australian Open title. Initially granted an exemption from Australia’s vaccine mandate, he faced intense public backlash, leading to his deportation and subsequent disqualification from the tournament. After a quarterfinal exit at the French Open, Djokovic rebounded in July by winning the Wimbledon title, marking his 21st Grand Slam victory.

Records and Feats

• Medals: Novak Djokovic has won a gold and a bronze medal for Serbia at the Olympics.
• Davis Cup Victory: He secured the Davis Cup for Serbia in 2010.
• ATP Tour Success: Djokovic has won 99 ATP Tour events to date.
• Grand Slam Records: He is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at least three times.
• Most Grand Slam Titles: Djokovic holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles, with 24.
• Career Golden Masters: He is the only player to achieve the Career Golden Masters, winning all nine active ATP Masters tournaments.
• ATP Masters Titles: Djokovic has a record 38 ATP Masters titles.
• Wimbledon Success: With seven Wimbledon titles, he is the second-most successful male player in the Open Era at this Grand Slam.
• Australian Open Dominance: Djokovic holds the Open Era record with 10 Australian Open titles, with the potential to add more.
• World No. 1 Record: He holds the record for the most weeks at World No. 1, totalling 428 weeks.
• Oldest US Open Champion: At 36 years and 111 days, Djokovic became the oldest winner of the US Open men’s singles title.t as he was defeated in straight sets by Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

Titles by Year

• 2006: Metz, Amersfoot – 2
• 2007: Vienna, ATP Masters 1000 Canada, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Adelaide – 5
• 2008: Tennis Masters Cup, ATP Masters 1000 Rome, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Australian Open – 4
• 2009: ATP Masters 1000 Paris, Basel, Beijing, Belgrade, Dubai – 5
• 2010: Beijing, Dubai – 2
• 2011: US Open, ATP Masters 1000 Canada, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Rome, ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, Belgrade, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Dubai, Australian Open – 10
• 2012: ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, Beijing, ATP Masters 1000 Canada, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Australian Open – 6
• 2013: ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 Paris, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, Beijing, ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, Dubai, Australian Open – 7
• 2014: ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 Paris, Beijing, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Rome, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells – 7

TAKE A BREAK FROM HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AND WATCH WHAT MAKES HIM GREAT!

• 2015: ATP Finals (Indoor/Hard) ATP Masters 1000 Paris, ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, Beijing, US Open, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Rome, ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Australian Open – 11
• 2016: ATP Masters 1000 Canada, Roland Garros, ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Australian Open, Doha – 7
• 2017: Eastbourne, Doha – 2
• 2018: ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai, US Open, ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Wimbledon – 4
• 2019: ATP Masters 1000 Paris, Tokyo, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, Australian Open – 5
• 2020: ATP Masters 1000 Rome, ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Dubai, Australian Open – 4
• 2021: ATP Masters 1000 Paris, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, Belgrade 2, Australian Open – 5
• 2022: Astana, Tel Aviv, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Rome – 4
• 2023: Nitto ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 Paris, US Open, ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Roland Garros, Australian Open, Adelaide 1 – 7
• 2024: Paris Olympics Gold Medal – 1

Personal Life

Djokovic is passionate about languages and is fluent in Serbian, English, French, German, and Italian. He met his future wife, Jelena Ristic, in 2005, and after eight years together, they married in September 2013. The couple has two children. As he was rising as a professional tennis star, Djokovic founded the “Novak Djokovic Foundation” to create better opportunities for underprivileged children in Serbia.