Novak Djokovic
Novak Đoković (Serbian: Новак Ђоковић, Novak Đoković pronounced [nɔ̂v̞aːk dʑɔ̂ːkɔv̞itɕ] ( listen)) (born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player who is ranked No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). 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.
He is also one of only four players (David Nalbandian, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal being the other 3) to beat Roger Federer 3 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 3 Andy Roddick, world number 2 Nadal, and World number 1 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).
Đoković 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, Đoković won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2008 and has won nine Masters Series tournaments. In 2010, he led Serbia to win the Davis Cup. Đoković finished the ATP Tour as World No. 3 for four consecutive years between 2007 and 2010.
From the 2010 Davis Cup finals to the 2011 French Open, Đoković had a 43-match win streak, third only to Guillermo Vilas (46 matches in 1977) and Ivan Lendl (44 matches in 1981/1982).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), second only to John McEnroe's record (he started 42–0 in 1984).
Đoković's emergence as a serious challenger to both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has led to the coining of a new sporting term: the trivalry. He is also considered the best male tennis player to come out of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia. Đoković is also a double winner of the award The Best Sportperson of Serbia and award for The Best Sportsman by Olympic Committee of Serbia. He has been awarded with the Order of St. Sava, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He is a keen fan of Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade.
Funny Novak Djokovic Impressions at the UsOpen 07 Exclusive!
Dancing with Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon 2011 vs Rafael Nadal LAST GAME & MATCH POINT
Biography
Novak Đoković was born May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, to father Srđan and mother, Dijana. His two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje, are also tennis players with professional aspirations.[7] Since the end of 2005 Novak has been dating Jelena Ristić.
He started playing tennis at the age of four, and was spotted by Yugoslav tennis legend Jelena Genčić at the age of eight, who stated: "This is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles."[8] At 12 years old, he spent three months at Nikola Pilić's tennis academy in Munich, Germany, and at age 14, his international career began, winning European championships in singles, doubles, and team competition.[8] He currently resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco and has been coached by a former Slovak tennis player, Marián Vajda; in August 2009 he also began working with former US top-five player Todd Martin.[9]
Đoković is also 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.[10] 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 Đoković 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.[11]
Similar to fellow pro Roger Federer, Đoković is a self described fan of languages, speaking 4 himself: his native Serbian, English, German, and Italian.[12][13]
Tennis career
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.[14]
In the beginning of his professional career, Đoković 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(5), 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.
2006
The possibility for their entire 5-person family to move from Serbia to live in Britain involved immense dedication.[15] All the rumours did not affect Đoković'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. Đoković 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.
2007
Đoković 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. Đoković 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 Đoković brought a point by defeating Georgia's George Chanturia. This was a tournament where he prepared for the later clay court season. Đoković 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. Đoković 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, Đoković reached his first Grand Slam semifinal, losing to eventual champion Nadal.
During Wimbledon, Đoković won a five-hour quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis 7–6 (4), 7–6 (9), 6–7 (3), 4–6, 7–5. In his semifinal match against Nadal, he was forced to retire with back and foot problems.
Đoković at 2007 US Open
Đoković went on to win the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Montreal. He defeated World No. 3 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, World No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals, and World No. 1 Federer in the final. This was the first time a player had defeated the top three ranked players in one tournament since Boris Becker in 1994.[citation needed] Đoković was also only the second player, after Tomáš Berdych, to have defeated both Federer and Nadal since they became the top two players in the world. After this tournament, Björn Borg stated that Đoković "is definitely a contender to win a Grand Slam (tournament)."[16] However, the following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Đoković lost in the second round to Moyà in straight sets. Đoković nevertheless reached the final of the US Open. Đoković had five set points in the first set and two in the second set but lost them all before losing the final to top-seeded Federer in straight sets.
During the 2007 tournament, Đoković emerged as a fan favorite with his on-court impressions of other players including Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.
Đoković 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 (4). Đoković, 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.[17]
2008
Đoković at the Rod Laver Arena during the 2008 Australian Open
Đoković started the year by playing the Hopman Cup along with fellow Serbian World No. 3 Jelena Janković. He won all his round-robin matches and the team, seeded first, reached the final. They lost 2–1 to the second-seeded American team consisting of Serena Williams and Mardy Fish.
At the Australian Open, Đoković 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, Đoković became the youngest player to have reached the semifinals in all four grand slams. In the final, Đoković 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 (2).[18] This marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a Grand Slam singles title was not won by Federer or Nadal.
Đoković's next result was at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, lost in the semi-finals to Andy Roddick.
Đoković at the 2008 Pacific Life Open
At the Masters Series Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Đoković won his ninth career singles title, defeating American Mardy Fish in the three-set final.
Đoković 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, Đoković lost to Nadal in the semi-finals. At the French Open in Paris, Đoković was the third-seeded player behind Federer and Nadal. Đoković lost to Nadal in the semifinals in straight sets.
On grass, Đoković once again played Nadal, this time in the Artois Championships final in Queen's Club, London, losing 7–6 (6), 7–5. At Wimbledon, Đoković 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.
Winning the Masters Cup
Đoković then failed to defend his 2007 singles title at the Masters Series Rogers Cup in Toronto. He was eliminated in the quarter-finals by eighth-seeded Andy Murray 6–3, 7–6 (3). The following week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Đoković advanced to the final beating Nadal. In the final, he again lost to Murray in straight sets.
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, Đoković lost in the semifinals to Nadal, 6–4, 1–6, 6–4. Đoković then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semi-final, in the bronze medal match 6–3, 7–6 (4).
After the Olympics, Đoković entered the US Open as the third seed. Đoković 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.
Đoković 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, Đoković 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. Đoković qualified for the semi-finals, where he defeated Gilles Simon 4–6, 6–3, 7–5. In the final, Đoković defeated Davydenko again to win his first ever Tennis Masters Cup title.
2009
Đoković 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. Đoković would have risen to World No. 2 had he won the match.[citation needed]
As defending champion at the Australian Open, Đoković retired from his quarterfinal match with former World No. 1 Andy Roddick while he was trailing in the fourth set 6–7 (3), 6–4, 6–2, 2–1, due to heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, and soreness.[19] His retirement drew criticism from several players remaining in the tournament, including Roger Federer.[20]
After losing in the semi-finals of the Open 13 tournament in Marseille to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Đoković won the singles title at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating David Ferrer to claim his twelfth career title. The following week, Đoković 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, Đoković beat Federer in the semi-finals 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 before losing to Andy Murray in the final.
Đoković during the 2009 US Open
Đoković reached the final of the next ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on clay, losing to Rafael Nadal in the final. At the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Đoković was the defending champion, but again lost in the final after defeating Federer. This loss caused Đoković's ranking to drop to World No. 4 on 11 May, ending 81 consecutive weeks at the number 3 ranking.[21]
Đoković 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.[22] As third seed at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, Đoković 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 (5), 7–6 (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.[23] At the French Open, he lost in the third round to German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6–4, 6–4, 6–4.
Đoković 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.[24] Đoković also lost to Haas in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 7–5, 7–6 (6), 4–6, 6–3.[25]
During the US Open Series, Đoković made the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal before losing to Andy Roddick 6–4, 7–6 (4). The loss was his third of the year to Roddick. At the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati, Đoković 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.[26]
At the 2009 US Open, Đoković 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 lost however to Roger Federer in the semis in a hard fought encounter, 7–6 (3), 7–5, 7–5.[27]
Đoković 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.[28] Đoković 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, Đoković lost in the semi-finals to sixth seed and eventual champion Nikolay Davydenko 6–4, 4–6, 6–7 (1) in just over 3 hours.
At the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel, Đoković recorded his first career double bagel, defeating Jan Hernych 6–0, 6–0, to make it to the quarter-finals.[29] He then recovered from a set and break deficit to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals, 3–6, 7–6 (5), 6–2. In the semi-finals, he saved three match points to defeat Radek Štěpánek 6–7 (4), 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.[30] With this win, Đoković 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, Đoković 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.[31] In the final, Đoković held off several comebacks in the match from Gaël Monfils, eventually prevailing, 6–2, 5–7, 7–6 (3).[32]
Coming into the year ending ATP World Tour Finals in London as the defending champion, Đoković defeated Nikolay Davydenko in his first round robin match, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5, extending his winning streak to 11 matches.[33] His run was ended however in his second match, where a weary looking Đoković lost to the first time in 6 career meetings to Robin Söderling 7–6 (5), 6–1.[34] Despite victory over Rafael Nadal 7–6 (5), 6–3, in his final match, Đoković 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 Đoković (all three having finished the round robin stage with a 2–1 win-loss record).[35]
Đoković ended the year as the World No. 3 for the third consecutive year. Đoković 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.
2010
Đoković 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.[36] Đoković participated in an exhibition match against Australia's World No. 291 Bernard Tomic in which he lost.
At the Australian Open, Đoković was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets, 6–7 (8), 7–6 (5), 6–1, 3–6, 1–6, struggling with illness both before the match and from the fourth set onwards.[37] Despite the loss, Đoković attained a career-high ranking of World No. 2.
Đoković at the 2010 Rogers Cup
He reached the semis of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, losing to Mikhail Youzhny 6–7 (5), 6–7 (6), despite having set points in the second set tiebreak. At the Dubai Tennis Championships in U.A.E., Đoković reached his second consecutive final at this event after beating all his opponents in 3 sets from the first round onwards. In the final, he defeated Russian Mikhail Youzhny winning, 7–5, 5–7, 6–3 to win his first title of the year. This was the first time in his career that Đoković had defended a title.[38]
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.
Đoković 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 (7), 4–6. This was his first opening round defeat since losing to Fabrice Santoro at the 2007 BNP Paribas Masters. Đoković 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.[39]
In his first clay-court tournament of the year at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, top seeded Đoković 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. Đoković again lost to Verdasco at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, this time in the quarter-finals, 6–7 (4), 6–3, 4–6. Đoković later said that his recent form had been hindered by allergies for the last two months.[40]
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.[41]
Đoković 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 (3), 6–4. With Melzer serving for the match at 5–4 in the fifth set, Đoković 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 Đoković contested with Bernardes. Đoković lost the point and the match. Later Hawk-Eye examination showed that Đoković had been correct and the ball had indeed been in; it was the first time that Đoković had lost a Grand Slam singles match after winning the first two sets.[42]
Đoković 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 6–4 7–6.
Đoković then competed at the Rogers Cup in Toronto where he faced Roger Federer in the semifinals losing 6–1, 3–6, 7–5. Đoković 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.[43] However, they lost in the first round to Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. Đoković lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati to Andy Roddick.
Djokovic during the Davis cup match against Czech Republic
Djokovic at the 2010 US Open
As the 3rd seed at the US Open, Đoković was very close to losing in the opening round, rallying from being down two sets to one down, a break in the fourth set and several break points which would have put him down two breaks in the fourth set to beat countryman Viktor Troicki in the midst of extreme heat. Đoković eventually won 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3. He would then defeat Philipp Petzschner, Americans James Blake and Mardy Fish, and number 17 seed Gaël Monfils all in straight sets to reach the US Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. In the semifinals, he faced Roger Federer, to whom he had lost the 2007 final and 2008 and 2009 semifinals. Very close to losing, Đoković rallied to win 5–7, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 7–5, saving two match points at 5–4 down on his serve in the final set. The win ended a streak of four consecutive losses in Grand Slam semifinals. It was also Đoković's first victory over Federer at the US Open in four attempts, and his first victory over Federer in a Grand Slam since the 2008 Australian Open. It also made him one of only two players to hold more than one victory over Federer in Grand Slam tournaments since Federer first became World number 1 (the other being Nadal). Đoković lost to Nadal 4–6, 7–5, 4–6, 2–6 in the final, a match that saw Nadal complete his career Grand Slam.
After helping Serbia defeat the Czech Republic 3–2 to make it to the Davis Cup final, Đoković 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. Đoković then defeated the eighth seeded Spaniard, David Ferrer in the final 6–2, 6–4.
At the Shanghai Masters, Đoković made a semi-final appearance losing to Roger Federer 4–6, 5–7.
Đoković played his final tournament of the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Đoković was placed in Group A along with Rafael Nadal, Tomáš Berdych and Andy Roddick. Đoković 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. Đoković stated after the match he could barely see out of his right eye and at 4–4 in the first set Đoković had to change his contact lenses. Throughout the match, Đoković 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. Đoković 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. Đoković 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[44] and "Serbian Athlete of the year" by DSL Sport.[45]
2011
2011 Australian Open Champion
Djokovic holding the 2011 Australian Open trophy
In 2011 Đoković started in the Australian exhibition Hopman Cup, where he did not lose a match. Đoković then moved on to the first Grand Slam of the year at the 2011 Australian Open, where he was seeded 3rd behind Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer. He started off his Australian Open campaign by beating Marcel Granollers in the first round 6–1, 6–3, 6–1 and then moved on to play Ivan Dodig, defeating him in four sets 7–5, 6–7 (8), 6–0, 6–2. His Davis Cup teammate and close friend Viktor Troicki retired in the 3rd round due to injury, with Đoković leading 6–2. In the 4th round he swiftly defeated Nicolas Almagro of Spain again winning in straight sets 6–3, 6–4, 6–0. In the quarter-finals, he avenged his loss to Tomáš Berdych at the Wimbledon by winning 6–1, 7–6 (5), 6–1. He then beat defending champion Roger Federer in straight sets 7–6 (3), 7–5, 6–4 to reach the final, where he defeated Andy Murray 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 for his second Australian Open championship and second grand slam.
Đoković's next tournament was at the ATP World Tour 500 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships in UAE, where he was seeded 2nd. He was the two-time defending champion and favourite for the title alongside the 1st 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.
Đoković 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. Đoković 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. Đoković 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, Đoković beat Nadal 4–6, 6–3, 7–6 (4) in a match that lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes. By this victory, Đoković 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.
Đoković 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 1st 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, Đoković reached his fifth consecutive final where he beat Feliciano Lopez 7–6 (4), 6–2, in just over 2 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 1st serve. In the quarter-finals, Đoković toughed it out against World No. 6 David Ferrer of Spain by winning 6–4, 4–6, 6–3. This win allowed Đoković 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).
He continued his winning streak in Rome Masters, 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia by beating Lukasz Kubot, Stanislas Wawrinka and Robin Söderling without dropping a set. In the semis, he beat Andy Murray 6–1, 3–6, 7–6 (2), in a thrilling match that Tennis Channel commentator Robbie Koenig said was the best of the year. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the final for the fourth consecutive time in 2011 to extend his winning streak to 39 (and 37 from the beginning of the season).
In the French Open, Đoković was seeded number 2 after Nadal. He defeated Thiemo de Bakker, Victor Hanescu, Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet dropping only one set to reach the quarterfinals. Đoković was due to play against Fabio Fognini of Italy, but his opponent withdrew from the competition, giving Đoković a walkover (not an official victory). Đoković's winning streak ended in the semifinals at 43 matches (41 occurring in 2011), with a 4 set loss to Roger Federer, 6–7 (5), 3–6, 6–3, 6–7 (5).
At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships he defeated Jeremy Chardy, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, Michaël Llodra and Bernard Tomic to reach his fifth straight Grand Slam semifinal.[46] He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets to make his first appearance in the final. By reaching the final, Đoković ensured that he would become world #1 for the first time in his career at the tournament's end, even if Nadal won the championship. Đoković then defeated Nadal to win the championship, 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3. It was Đoković's fifth straight win over Nadal, all of them in finals, and it was his first victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament at his sixth attempt.[47]
Davis Cup
In 2006, Đoković got the decisive win on 9 April 2006 against Great Britain by defeating Greg Rusedski in four sets in the fourth match, giving his team a 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 Đoković's camp negotiating with the Lawn Tennis Association about changing his international loyalty by joining British tennis ranks.[15] 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".[48] However, more than 3 years later, in October 2009, Đoković 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.[49] ”
By winning all three of his matches, Đoković played a key role in the 2007 play-off win over Australia, promoting Serbia to World Group in 2008. In Serbia's tie against Russia in early 2008 in Moscow, Đoković was sidelined due to influenza and was forced to miss his first singles match. He returned to win his doubles match, teaming with Nenad Zimonjić, before being forced to retire during his singles match with Nikolay Davydenko. Đoković also had a big role in promoting Serbia to the 2009 World Group. On 6–8 Match 2010 he played the key role in bringing Serbia to World Group quarterfinals for the first time in its independent history, winning both singles matches in the home tie against United States (against Sam Querrey and John Isner). Later, Serbia progressed to the Davis Cup final, following the victories over Croatia (4–1) and Czech Republic (3–2). Serbia came from 1–2 down to defeat France in the final tie 3–2 in Belgrade to win the nation's first Davis Cup Championship. In the final, Đoković scored two singles points for Serbia, defeating Gilles Simon and Gaël Monfils.[50] He was the backbone of the Serbian squad, going 7–0 in singles rubbers to lead the nation to the title, although the honour of winning the deciding rubber in the final went to compatriot Viktor Troicki.
Rivalries
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Đoković-Nadal rivalry
Đoković and Nadal have met 28 times with Nadal having a 16–12 advantage. Nadal leads on grass 2–1 and clay 9–2, but Đoković leads on hard courts 9–5. This rivalry is listed as the third greatest rivalry in the last decade by ATPworldtour.com and is considered by many to be the emerging rivalry with Federer slowly in decline. Đoković is the only player to have at least 10 match wins against Nadal and the only person to defeat Nadal 5 or more times consecutively and consecutively on clay. Their most important match to date was the 2010 US Open final which Nadal won, dropping one set. 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, Đoković won in 4 sets (6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3) in the 2011 Wimbledon final, which was his first victory over Nadal in a Grand Slam at his sixth attempt.[51]
Đoković-Federer rivalry
Đoković 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). Đoković gave Federer his first defeat in straight sets since he became number 1 in the semi-finals of the 2008 Australian Open (which Đoković went on to win). Đoković is also the only player other than Nadal who has defeated Federer in consecutive grand slam matches. Federer ended Đoković's 41-match winning start to the 2011 season at the 2011 French Open semifinals.
Đoković-Murray rivalry
Đoković and Murray have met 9 times with Đoković leading 6–3. Đoković leads 2–0 on clay and 4–3 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 Đoković won comfortably in straight sets. Murray won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati by beating Đoković in the finals.
Playing style, equipment and diet
Đoković is an all-court player with emphasis on aggressive baseline play.[52] 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 hit 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.[52] Darren Cahill has stated that Đoković, along with David Ferrer, is the best returner of serve in the men's game. Occasionally, Đoković 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, his drop shots still tend to be a drawback when hit under pressure and without proper preparation.[53]
Đoković 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. Đoković strings in a custom hybrid consisting of Head Natural Gut in the mains, and Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough in the crosses.[54] At the end of 2009, Đoković 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). Đoković has recently begun to wear custom Red and Blue Adidas Barricade 6.0's shoes, referring to the colours of the Serbian national flag.
Since 2006 Đoković has been coached by Slovakian former professional tennis player Marian Vajda. On occasion Đoković 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 Đoković's serve motion.[55]
In 2010, Đoković's nutritionist discovered the tennis player has an allergy to gluten and Đoković purged it from his diet. He started the 2011 season strong, with the dietary change being given credit amongst observers.[56]
Grand Slams
Grand Slam 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 Career SR Career 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
Grand Slam Finals
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), 6–7(2), 4–6
Winner 2008 Australian Open Hard Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(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
Career statistics
Main article: Novak Djokovic career statistics
Records
These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
Tournament Year Record accomplished Player tied
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
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
ATP World Tour 2006–2009 Most consecutive weeks at number 3 – 91 Stands alone
ATP World Tour 2011 Fastest player to qualify for the World Tour Finals – 18 weeks, 6 days Stands alone
Madrid 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 Masters 1000 finals (8/9) Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most Consecutive Titles in events entered – 4 Roger Federer (2005–2006)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 2011 Most Titles in a season – 4 Roger Federer (2005 & 2006), Rafael Nadal (2005)
Order of St. Sava
Order of Saint Sava
On 28 April 2011 in Belgrade, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Đoković the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The order was given to him 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.[57]
In popular culture
In 2009 and 2010 Đoković won Oscar Of Popularity for the most popular male athlete in Serbia.[58]
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, Đoković sang a song about Belgrade.[59]
Đoković 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", Đoković enters the arena and convinces the referee otherwise.[60]
In 2010, Serbian blues-rock band Zona B recorded the song "The Joker", dedicating it to Đoković.
On 25 June 2011 its seventieth Congress in Chicago, all the members unanimously awarded Đoković 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.
See also
Tennis performance timeline comparison (men)
Serbia Davis Cup team
References from Wikipedia.com