Djokovic began his professional career in 2003. In 2008, at age 20, he disrupted Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's streak of 11 consecutive majors by winning his first major title at the Australian Open. By 2010, Djokovic had begun to separate himself from the rest of the field and, as a result, the trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic was referred to as the "Big Three" among fans and commentators, and Big Four including Andy Murray, creating a Golden Era of men's tennis.
In 2011, Djokovic ascended to No. 1 for the first time, winning three majors and a then-record five Masters titles while going 10–1 against Nadal and Federer. He remained the most successful player in men's tennis for the rest of the decade. Djokovic had his most successful season in 2015, reaching a record 15 consecutive finals and winning 10 Big Titles while earning 31 victories over top-10 players.
His dominant run extended through to the 2016 French Open, where he completed the Career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors simultaneously and setting a rankings points record of 16,950.
In 2017, Djokovic suffered from an elbow injury that weakened his results until the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, where he won the title while ranked No. 21 in the world. Djokovic then returned to a dominant status, winning 11 more major titles and completing his second and third career Grand Slams. Due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, he skipped many tournaments in 2022, notably the Australian Open and the US Open, being deported from the country in the former case.
One year after the Australian visa controversy, he made a successful comeback to reclaim the 2023 Australian Open trophy, and shortly after claimed the all-time record for most men's singles majors titles. In 2024, he became the only player to complete a career sweep of the Big Titles.
Djokovic was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year five times in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2024 which is tied with Roger Federer for the most of all time. He was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and has been listed by Forbes as one of the world's ten highest-paid athletes in 2016.
Representing Serbia, Djokovic led the national tennis team to the Davis Cup crown in 2010 and the ATP Cup crown in 2020. In singles, he won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is a recipient of the Order of Karađorđe's Star, Order of St. Sava, and the Order of the Republika Srpska. He has been named the BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year a record eight times.
Beyond competition, Djokovic was elected as the president of the ATP Player Council in 2016. He stepped down in 2020 to front a new player-only tennis association, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he co-founded with Vasek Pospisil, citing the need for players to have more influence on the tour and advocating better prize money structure for lower-ranked players.
Djokovic is an active philanthropist. He is the founder of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which is committed to supporting children from disadvantaged communities. Djokovic was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2015.
Early and personal life
Novak Djokovic was born on 22 May 1987 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, to Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan Djokovic. He is of paternal Serbian and maternal Croatian descent. His two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje, have also played professional tennis.
Djokovic began playing tennis at the age of four, after his parents gave him a mini-racket and a soft foam ball, which his father said became "the most beloved toy in his life". His parents then sent him to a tennis camp in Novi Sad. In the summer of 1993, as a six-year-old, he met Jelena Genčić at a tennis camp she was overseeing at Mount Kopaonik, where Djokovic's parents ran a fast-food parlour.
Genčić worked with Djokovic over the following six years, convincing him to hit his backhand with two hands instead of the single hand used by his idol, Pete Sampras. Djokovic has credited Genčić for "shaping my mind as a human being, but also as a professional".
During the Yugoslav Wars in the late 1990s, Serbia had to endure embargoes and NATO bombings because of the Kosovo War. At one point Djokovic had to train inside a disused swimming pool converted into a tennis court. Due to his rapid development, Genčić contacted Nikola Pilić and in September 1999, Djokovic moved to the Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, spending four years there.
Pilić made him spend several months serving against a wall to improve his technique, and he had him doing wrist flexibility exercises for a year with a rubber exercise band.
His father also took him to train at academies in the United States, Italy, and Germany. Because of the high cost of traveling and training his father took out high-interest loans to help pay for his son's tennis education, putting Djokovic under immense pressure to deliver.
He met his future wife, Jelena Ristić, in high school, and began dating her in 2005. The two became engaged in September 2013, and on 10 July 2014 the couple were married on Montenegro's Sveti Stefan island, in the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Stephen (Serbian: Црква Светог Архиђакона Стефана). He and Ristić had their first child, a boy, in October 2014. Their daughter was born in 2017.
Djokovic is a self-described fan of languages, speaking Serbian, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish to varying levels of proficiency.
Career
2000s
2001–2003: Juniors
In 2001, Djokovic won his first title in a second-category tournament in Messina on the U14 circuit of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, defeating compatriot Bojan Božović in the final, and his second in Livorno, where he beat top seed Andy Murray in the semifinals and second seed Aljoscha Thron in the final. In July, he won the U14 European Championship in Sanremo, defeating Lukáš Lacko in singles and the doubles with Božović against Russians Alexandre Krasnoroutskiy and Mikhail Bekker.
He led Yugoslavia to victory in the European Summer Cup, finishing the year as European champion in singles, doubles, and team events. He also earned a silver medal at the ITF World Junior Championship U14 team competition for Yugoslavia. Djokovic ended 2001 ranked No. 1 on the ETA U14 list, with Andy Murray in second place.
In 2002, now competing in U16 events, Djokovic won two major tournaments in France: the Derby Cadets in La Baule, defeating Gaël Monfils in the final, and Le Pontet in Avignon. In September, he won his first ITF title in Pančevo, winning all matches in straight sets, including over No. 1 seed David Savić in the final.
In November, Djokovic won the Prince Cup in Miami, defeating Stephen Bass in the final, shortly before competing at the Junior Orange Bowl, where he reached the third round before losing to Marcos Baghdatis.
Overall, Djokovic compiled a 40–11 singles and 23–6 doubles record in juniors, achieving a combined junior world ranking of No. 24 in February 2004. His best junior Grand Slam result was reaching the semifinals of the 2004 Australian Open. He also competed at the 2003 French Open and 2003 US Open.
2003–2005: Start of professional career
Djokovic played his first professional match in January 2003 at a Futures event in Oberschleißheim after receiving a wildcard from Niki Pilić, narrowly losing to Alex Rădulescu. He won his first Futures title in Belgrade later that year and ended 2003 ranked No. 687. In 2004, he recorded his first ATP win during a Davis Cup match against Janis Skroderis, and later claimed his first Challenger title in Budapest on his 17th birthday, beating Daniele Bracciali in the final.
He debuted on the ATP Tour main draw at the Croatia Open Umag and secured his first victory at a tournament in Bucharest, ending the year ranked No. 186.
Djokovic's Grand Slam debut came at the 2005 Australian Open, followed by his first Slam win at the French Open. That year, he also reached the third round at both Wimbledon and the US Open, where he beat Gaël Monfils and Mario Ančić. He impressed at the Paris Masters by reaching the third round after defeating Mariano Puerta, ending the year ranked world No. 78 as the youngest player in the top 100.
2006: First ATP titles and major quarterfinal
In April 2006, Djokovic won both of his singles matches at a Davis Cup match against Great Britain, leading Serbia and Montenegro to victory. Following this, his family reportedly had discussions with the Lawn Tennis Association about representing Great Britain. Djokovic, then world No. 63, initially dismissed the story, calling it a kind gesture following the tie.
In 2009, he confirmed the talks were serious but chose to represent Serbia, stating he was "proud of being a Serbian" and that he "didn't want to spoil that just because another country had better conditions".
At the French Open, Djokovic, then world No. 63, defeated ninth seed Fernando González en route to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, where, due to issues with his back, he retired against Rafael Nadal after two sets in their first career meeting, launching their historic rivalry. At Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round before losing to Mario Ančić in five sets.
Djokovic claimed his first ATP title at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort, defeating Nicolás Massú in the final without dropping a set. He won his second title at the Moselle Open in Metz, beating Jürgen Melzer, and broke into the top 20. He also made his first Masters quarterfinal at Madrid. He ended the season ranked No. 16, the youngest in the top 20.
2007: First ATP 1000 title and major final, top 3
Djokovic began 2007 by winning the Adelaide title, then reached the fourth round of the 2007 Australian Open, losing in straight sets to Roger Federer, who would go on to win the tournament. This, along with a strong showing at the Indian Wells, where he finished runner-up, propelled him into the top 10. In Miami, he defeated Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, Andy Murray in the semifinals, and Guillermo Cañas in the final, earning his first Masters title and becoming the youngest male champion in the history of the tournament.
He contributed a singles win in Serbia's Davis Cup win against Georgia. On clay, he defeated Richard Gasquet in the final of the Estoril Open, and reached the quarterfinals in Rome and Hamburg, losing to Nadal and Carlos Moyá, respectively. At the French Open, he made his first major semifinal, falling to Nadal. At Wimbledon, Djokovic won a five-hour quarterfinal over Marcos Baghdatis before retiring in the semifinals against Nadal due to elbow issues.
Djokovic's breakthrough continued at the Canadian Open, where he defeated world No. 3 Andy Roddick, No. 2 Nadal and No. 1 Federer to claim the title, becoming the first player since Boris Becker in 1994 to beat the top three-ranked players in a single event. Following this, Björn Borg remarked that Djokovic was "definitely a contender to win a Grand Slam." Djokovic would then go on to reach his first major final at the US Open, where he had five set points in the first set and two in the second set, but lost them all before losing the match in straight sets to the top-seeded Federer.
He won his fifth title of the year at the Vienna Open, defeating Stanislas Wawrinka in the final, and finishing the year ranked No. 3.
2008: First Major title, Olympic Bronze and ATP Finals title
Djokovic began the year at the Hopman Cup alongside fellow Serbian Jelena Janković, where they reached the finals, but ultimately lost to the United States in the decisive mixed doubles rubber. The event also marked his first competitive match against Serena Williams. At the Australian Open, Djokovic reached the final without dropping a set, defeating Roger Federer in the semifinals, which made him the youngest Open Era player to make the last four at all four majors.
He beat unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets in the final, claiming his first Grand Slam singles title. It was the first Grand Slam title in 3 years not won by Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic then reached the semifinals in Dubai and won titles at Indian Wells and the Italian Open, his ninth and tenth titles, respectively. He lost to Nadal in the semifinals of both Hamburg and the 2008 French Open. On grass, he fell to Nadal in the Queen's Club final, and suffered a second-round loss at Wimbledon to Marat Safin, ending a streak of five straight major semifinals.
After reaching the quarterfinals at the Rogers Cup, he qualified for the finals in Cincinnati, ending Nadal's 32-match win streak in the semis, ultimately, however, losing to Andy Murray in the finals. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he earned a bronze medal in the singles event and exited in the first round in doubles with partner Nenad Zimonjić.
Djokovic rounded off the season by winning his first year-end championship title at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in November, beating Nikolay Davydenko in the final.
2009: Ten finals, five titles
Djokovic began the year at the Brisbane International, where he was upset in the first round by fellow Pilić academy trainee Ernests Gulbis. At the Australian Open, he retired in the quarterfinals against Andy Roddick due to heat-related illness. After a semifinal loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Marseille, Djokovic won the Dubai Championships, defeating David Ferrer for his 12th career title.
At the Indian Wells Masters, he lost to Roddick in the quarterfinals. He then reached the final of the Miami Open, defeating Roger Federer in the semifinals before losing to Andy Murray. During the clay season, Djokovic reached the finals at both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open, losing to Rafael Nadal each time.
He then claimed his second title of the year at the inaugural Serbia Open, defeating Łukasz Kubot in the final. At the Madrid Open in May, he lost another close semifinal to Nadal in a record-setting match lasting 4 hours and 3 minutes. He exited the French Open in the third round to Philipp Kohlschreiber. Djokovic reached the final of the Gerry Weber Open on grass but lost to Tommy Haas, and then suffered another defeat to Haas in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
During the 2009 US Open Series, he reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, then made the final in Cincinnati, defeating Nadal in the semifinals before falling to Federer. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals, where he was again defeated by Federer. He capped off the season by winning his only Masters title of the year at the Paris Masters after defeating Nadal in the semifinals, and outlasting Gaël Monfils in a decisive set tiebreak in the final.
