Novak Djokovic
Serbian tennis player with record 24 major singles titles.
Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player, born on 22 May 1987. He has spent a record 428 weeks as the world No. 1 in men's singles, finished as the year-end top player a record eight times, and has held the No. 1 spot in at least one week during a record 13 different years. His 101 ATP Tour singles titles include a record 24 major championships—among them a record ten Australian Opens—along with a record 40 Masters titles, a record seven year-end championships, and an Olympic gold medal. He is the only man to have simultaneously held all four major titles across three different surfaces, the only singles player to complete a triple Career Grand Slam, the first to achieve a Career Golden Masters, and the only one to do so twice. He is also the sole singles player to have won every Big Title in the sport.
Djokovic turned professional in 2003. At age 20, in 2008, he broke the 11-major winning streak of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal by claiming his first major at the Australian Open. By 2010, he had clearly separated himself from the rest of the field, and the trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic—along with Andy Murray, forming a "Big Four"—came to define a Golden Era of men's tennis. In 2011, he reached 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 on the men's tour for the rest of the decade. His most dominant season came in 2015, when he reached a record 15 consecutive finals, won ten Big Titles, and recorded 31 victories over top-10 opponents. That run extended through 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 at once, and setting a rankings points record of 16,950.
An elbow injury in 2017 slowed his results until the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, where he won the title despite being ranked No. 21. He then returned to dominance, adding 11 more major titles and completing his second and third Career Grand Slams. In 2022, his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates led him to skip several tournaments, including the Australian Open (where he was deported) and the US Open. A year after that visa controversy, he successfully returned to win the 2023 Australian Open and soon after claimed the all-time
- born
- 22 May 1987
- field
- Professional tennis player
- nationality
- Serbian
- known_for
- Record 24 major singles titles, record 428 weeks at world No. 1, only man to hold all four majors simultaneously on three surfaces
Lore & Background
Novak Djokovic was born on 22 May 1987 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, to Dijana and Srdjan Djokovic. He is of paternal Serbian and maternal Croatian descent. He began playing tennis at age four after his parents gave him a mini-racket and a soft foam ball. At age six, he met coach Jelena Genčić at a tennis camp, who worked with him for six years and convinced him to hit his backhand with two hands. During the Yugoslav Wars, Djokovic trained inside a disused swimming pool converted into a tennis court. In September 1999, he moved to the Pilić tennis academy in Germany, spending four years there. His father took out high-interest loans to pay for his tennis education. Djokovic met his future wife, Jelena Ristić, in high school; they married in 2014 and have two children. He speaks Serbian, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Djokovic began his professional career in 2003. In 2008, at age 20, he won his first major title at the Australian Open, disrupting Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's streak of 11 consecutive majors. By 2010, the trio of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic was referred to as the 'Big Three.' In 2011, he ascended to No. 1 for the first time, winning three majors and a then-record five Masters titles. His most successful season was 2015, reaching a record 15 consecutive finals and winning 10 Big Titles. In 2016, 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. After an elbow injury in 2017, he returned to win the 2018 Wimbledon title while ranked No. 21, then won 11 more major titles. Due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, he skipped many tournaments in 2022, including the Australian Open and US Open. He reclaimed 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.
Reader's Guide
Novak Djokovic's significance lies in his unprecedented statistical achievements and his role in defining a golden era of men's tennis alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He holds records for most weeks at world No. 1 (428), most year-end No. 1 finishes (8), most major titles (24), most Masters titles (40), and most year-end championships (7). He is the only man to hold all four major titles simultaneously on three different surfaces and the only player in singles to win all of the Big Titles. His 2015 season, with 15 consecutive finals and 10 Big Titles, is considered one of the greatest in tennis history. Djokovic also completed a triple Career Grand Slam and a Career Golden Masters twice. Beyond competition, he co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2020 to advocate for player influence and prize money structure. He is a philanthropist, founding the Novak Djokovic Foundation for disadvantaged children, and was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2015. His career has been marked by both dominance and controversy, particularly his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which led to his deportation from Australia in 2022. He has been awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year five times and named one of Time's 100 most influential people.
Did You Know?
- Djokovic is the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of all four majors at once across three different surfaces.
- He completed a non-calendar year Grand Slam in 2016, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors simultaneously.
- Djokovic co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2020 with Vasek Pospisil.
- He was deported from Australia in 2022 due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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