Novak Djokovic born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player. He has been ranked No. 1 for a record total of 428 weeks in a record 13 different years by the ATP, and finished as the year-end No. 1 a record eight times. Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles. Overall, he has won 99 singles titles, including a record 72 Big Titles: 24 majors, a record 40 Masters, a record seven year-end championships, and an Olympic gold medal. Djokovic is the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of all four majors at once across three different surfaces. In singles, he is the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam, and the only player to complete a Career Golden Masters, a feat he has accomplished twice. Djokovic is the only player in singles to have won all of the Big Titles over the course of his career, having completed the Career Super Slam as part of that accomplishment.
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. 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. In 2015, Djokovic had his most successful season, reaching a single-season record 15 consecutive finals, winning a season-record 10 Big Titles while having a record 31 victories over the top-10 players. His dominant run extended through to the 2016 French Open, where he completed his first 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[10] 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 has continued to be a dominant force on the tour since then, winning 12 major titles and completing his second and third Career Grand Slams. Due to his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine, Djokovic was forced to skip many tournaments in 2022, notably the Australian Open and the US Open; two major events he was the favorite to win. One year after the Australian visa controversy, Djokovic made a successful comeback to reclaim the 2023 Australian Open trophy,[14] and shortly after he claimed the French Open to take the outright record for most men's singles majors won in history.[15] In 2024, he became the oldest gold medalist in men's tennis singles history at the Paris Olympics.
Representing Serbia, Djokovic led the national tennis team to its first Davis Cup title in 2010, and the inaugural ATP Cup title 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 Star, Order of St. Sava, and the Order of the Republika Srpska.
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) founded by him and Vasek Pospisil, citing the need for players to have more influence on the tour and advocating better prize money structure for lower ranked players.[16][17] Djokovic is an active philanthropist. He is the founder of Novak Djokovic Foundation, which is committed to supporting children from disadvantaged communities.[18] Djokovic was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2015.[19]
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.[20] His two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje, have also played professional tennis.[21]
Djokovic began playing tennis at the age of four,[21] 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".[22] His parents then sent him to a tennis camp in Novi Sad.[22][23] In the summer of 1993, as a six-year-old, he was sent to a tennis camp organized by the Teniski Klub Partizan and overseen by Yugoslav tennis player Jelena Genčić[23][24] at Mount Kopaonik, where Djokovic's parents ran a fast-food parlour.[22][25][26] 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.[2][27][28] Djokovic has credited Genčić for "shaping my mind as a human being, but also as a professional".[29][30]
During the Yugoslav Wars in the late 1990s, Serbia had to endure embargoes[30] and NATO bombings[21][25][27] because of the Kosovo War.[21][31] At one point Djokovic had to train inside a disused swimming pool converted into a tennis court.[32] 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.[2][25][33] Pilić made him serve against a wall for several months to improve his technique, and he had him working with a rubber exercise band for a year to improve flexibility in his wrist.[25] One of the players he trained with at the Niki Pilić academy was future world No. 10 Ernests Gulbis, with whom he allegedly had a fiery rivalry.[34][35]
His father also took him to train at academies in the United States, Italy, and Germany.[22] 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.[22][25][27] He believes the impact this had on him could be the reason behind his prowess under pressure.
He met his future wife, Jelena Ristić, in high school, and began dating her in 2005.[36] The two became engaged in September 2013,[37] and on 10 July 2014 the couple were married on Sveti Stefan in Montenegro.[38][39] He and Ristić had their first child, a boy, in October 2014.[40][41] 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. Djokovic moved to Monte Carlo in late 2008 after his popularity increased due to his grand slam triumph. Monte Carlo is the go-to destination for many tennis players and Formula One drivers due to tax exemptions.
Tennis career
Novak Djokovic Singles Ranking History Chart
Singles Ranking Composite History Chart (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic)
This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion policy. (June 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
2000s
2001–2003: Juniors
Main article: Novak Djokovic junior years
In 2001, Djokovic dominated the U14 circuit in the ETA Junior Tour, currently known as the Tennis Europe Junior Tour, winning his first ETA title in a second category tournament in Messina, defeating his compatriot Bojan Božović in the final,[48][49] and his second in Livorno[48] after beating the top seed and future rival Andy Murray in the semifinals, and the second seed Aljoscha Thron in the final, 5–7, 7–5, 6–4.[50] In July, Djokovic was the top seed at the U14 European championship, held in Sanremo, where he won the singles tournament over Lukáš Lacko,[51] and the doubles with Božović over the Russian pair of Alexandre Krasnoroutskiy and Mikhail Bekker.[] Djokovic also led the Serbian team to victory in the European Summer Cup,[48] thus ending the year as a European champion in singles, doubles and in team competition, while also winning the silver medal at the ITF World Junior Championship for players under 14 in a team competition for Yugoslavia.[2][21][54] Djokovic ended 2001 at the top of the ETA rankings for U14s, one place ahead of Murray at No. 2.
In 2002, Djokovic continued his dominance, now in the U16 circuit. In June, Djokovic won two prestigious tournaments in France, the Derby Cadets in La Boule, where he beat future world No. 6 Gaël Monfils in the final,[55] and Le Pontet in Avignon.[56] In September, Djokovic won his first ITF tournament in Pančevo[2] after winning all of his matches in straight sets, some of which against rivals three years older than he, including the No. 1 seed David Savić in the final.[57] In November, Djokovic participated in the prestigious Prince Cup and Junior Orange Bowl in Miami, defeating home favorite Stephen Bass to win the former[57] despite having to play the final just a few hours after winning a qualifier round for the Orange Bowl, where he beat two Americans in the main draw before losing in the third round to Marcos Baghdatis.[57]
In juniors, he compiled a singles win-loss record of 40–11 (and 23–6 in doubles), reaching a combined junior world ranking of No. 24 in February 2004.[58] At the junior Grand Slam events, his best showing was at the Australian Open where he reached the semifinals in 2004. He also played at the French Open and US Open junior events in 2003.
2003–2005: Start of professional career
In January 2003, at age 15, Djokovic played his first match in a professional tournament after receiving a wildcard from Pilić to enter a Futures event in Oberschleißheim, the suburb of Munich where Pilić had his academy, but despite knowing the court where he played very well, Djokovic still lost to Alex Rădulescu in two tight sets, 7–5, 7–6.[60][61] Pilić also had influence outside of Germany and requested a wildcard for Djokovic to play in a Futures in Belgrade in June, where he beat the No. 4 seed in the first round and then Cesar Ferrer-Victoria in the final, gaining him his first world ranking of No. 767. At age 16, he finished 2003 ranked world No. 687.
On 11 April 2004, the 16-year-old Djokovic earned his first official ATP victory when he defeated No. 1340 Janis Skroderis 6–2, 6–2 in a dead rubber held in Belgrade during a Davis Cup tie between Serbia & Montenegro and Latvia.[64][65] He won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Budapest, where he started as a qualifier.[21][66][64] In the final, played on the day of his 17th birthday, Djokovic dominated No. 232 Daniele Bracciali 6–1, 6–2.[67][68] Djokovic then qualified for his first ATP Tour event, the Croatia Open Umag in July 2004, where he lost to Filippo Volandri in the first round.[64] His success in Futures and Challenger events saw him rise into the world's Top 200 and finish 2004 as the world No. 186.[62]
In January 2005, Djokovic made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, where he defeated future rival Stan Wawrinka in the second round of the qualifying competition.[69] In the first round of the main draw, he was defeated by eventual champion Marat Safin in straight sets. Later that year, Djokovic won his first Grand Slam match at the French Open, and went on to reach the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open, coming back from two sets down and saving multiple match points to defeat Guillermo García López in the former, and beating Gaël Monfils and Mario Ančić in the latter. Djokovic participated in four Masters events and qualified for two of them, his best performance coming in Paris, where he reached the third round and defeated fourth seed Mariano Puerta along the way.[71] He finished the year ranked No. 78, the youngest player in the top 100.
2006: Maiden ATP titles, first Grand Slam quarterfinal
On 9 April 2006, Djokovic clinched a decisive Davis Cup win against Great Britain by defeating Greg Rusedski in four sets in the fourth match of the tie, giving Serbia and Montenegro an insurmountable 3–1 lead in their best-of-five series, thus keeping the country in the Group One Euro/African Zone of Davis Cup. Afterwards, Djokovic briefly considered moving from Serbia to play for Great Britain.[72] The British media spoke of Djokovic's family negotiating with the Lawn Tennis Association about changing his international loyalty by joining British tennis ranks.[72] The 18-year-old Djokovic, who was ranked 64th in the world, initially dismissed the story by saying that the talks were not serious, describing them as "the British being very kind to us after the Davis Cup."[73] However, more than three years later, in October 2009, Djokovic 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.
Djokovic reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open as the world No. 63, after upsetting ninth-ranked Fernando González in the second round.[75] In the quarterfinals, he faced Rafael Nadal, the first-ever meeting of their historic rivalry, which Nadal won via a retirement from Djokovic after Nadal took the first two sets.[75] This deep run at the French Open saw him reach the top 40 in the world singles rankings. At Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round, losing to seventh seed Mario Ančić in five sets.
Three weeks after Wimbledon, Djokovic won his maiden ATP title at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort without losing a set, defeating Nicolás Massú in the final.[75] He won his second career title at the Moselle Open in Metz, France, defeating Jürgen Melzer in the final, and moved into the top 20.[75][77] He also reached his first career Masters quarterfinal at Madrid during the indoor hardcourt season.[78] Djokovic finished the year ranked No. 16, the youngest player in the top 20.
2007: First Masters titles, first Major final & breaking top 3
Djokovic began 2007 by defeating Australian Chris Guccione in the Adelaide final, before losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to eventual champion Roger Federer[80] in straight sets. His performances at the Masters Series events in Indian Wells, and Miami, where he was the runner-up and champion respectively, pushed him into the world's top 10.[75] Djokovic lost the Indian Wells final to Rafael Nadal, but defeated Nadal in Key Biscayne in the quarterfinals before going on to defeat Guillermo Cañas in the final to win his maiden Masters Series title.[81][82] In doing so, he became the youngest player to ever win the tournament and the first teenager to win the event since Andre Agassi in 1990.
Djokovic then returned to Serbia to help his country enter the Davis Cup World Group[83] in a match against Georgia. He won a point by defeating Georgia's George Chanturia.[83] Later, he played in the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he was defeated by David Ferrer in the third round, and at the Estoril Open, where he defeated Richard Gasquet in the final.[84] Djokovic then reached the quarterfinals of both the Italian Open in Rome, where he lost to Nadal, and the Hamburg Masters, where he was defeated by Carlos Moyá. At the French Open, Djokovic reached his first major semifinal, losing to eventual champion Nadal.
At Wimbledon, Djokovic won a five-hour quarterfinal against Marcos Baghdatis to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final.[86] At the time, the match had lasted just 5 minutes shy of the longest Wimbledon match played in a single day. After the match, Baghdatis stated that playing against Djokovic was “a bit like facing Andre Agassi. He is just making you move from one place to another”.[87] Djokovic started his semifinal match against Nadal with nearly 17 hours on court, and ended up retiring with elbow problems in the third set, after winning the first and losing the second set.
Djokovic during his first round match at the 2007 US Open
Djokovic's next tournament was the Canadian Open in Montreal, and he defeated No. 3 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals, and 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.[61][89] Djokovic 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 Djokovic "is definitely a contender to win a Grand Slam (tournament)."[90] The following week at the Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic lost in the second round to Moyà in straight sets. Nevertheless, he went on to reach the final of 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.
Djokovic 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 Madrid Masters, where he lost to David Nalbandian in the semifinals. Djokovic, assured of finishing the year ranked No. 3, qualified for the year-ending championships, but did not advance beyond the round robin matches. He received the Golden Badge award for the best athlete in Serbia, and the Olympic Committee of Serbia declared him the best athlete in the country.
Djokovic played a key role in the 2007 play-off win over Australia by winning all his matches and helping promote the Serbia Davis Cup team to the 2008 World Group.[93] In Serbia's tie against Russia in Moscow in early 2008, Djokovic was sidelined due to influenza and missed his first singles match. He returned to win his doubles match, teaming with Nenad Zimonjić, before retiring during his singles match with Nikolay Davydenko.
2008: First Major title, two Masters & maiden Year-end Championship
Main article: 2008 Novak Djokovic tennis season
Djokovic started his preparations for the season by playing the Hopman Cup with fellow Serbian world No. 3 Jelena Janković where he won all of his four singles matches, including in the final against the United States, where he beat Mardy Fish in a deciding set tiebreak to level the tie, but then losing the decisive mixed doubles rubber,[95] in which he faced former WTA No. 1 Serena Williams in a competitive event for the first time.[96] At the Australian Open, Djokovic reached his second consecutive Grand Slam final, this time without dropping a set, including a victory over two-time defending champion Federer in the semifinals.[97] By reaching the semifinals, Djokovic became the youngest player in the Open Era to have reached the semifinals in all four Grand Slam events.[98] In the final, Djokovic defeated unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to earn his first Grand Slam singles title.[99] This marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a Grand Slam singles title was not won by Federer or or Nadal.[99]
Djokovic's next tournament was the Dubai Championships, where he lost in the semifinals to Roddick. At the Indian Wells Masters, Djokovic won his ninth career singles title, defeating Mardy Fish in the final.[100] Djokovic won his tenth career singles title and fourth Master Series singles crown at the Italian Open in Rome after defeating Wawrinka in the final.[101] The following week he lost to Nadal in the semifinals at the Hamburg Masters. At the French Open, Djokovic was the third-seeded player behind Federer and Nadal. He lost to Nadal in the semifinals in straight sets.[102]
On grass, Djokovic once again played Nadal, this time in the Artois Championships final in Queen's Club, where he lost in two sets. Djokovic entered Wimbledon seeded third but lost in the second round to Marat Safin, ending a streak of five consecutive majors where he had reached at least the semifinals.[103]
Djokovic then failed to defend his 2007 singles title at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Andy Murray. The following week at the Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic advanced to the final, beating Nadal in the semifinals, which not only ended the Spaniard's 32-match winning streak, but also delayed Nadal's first ascension to world No. 1 by a week.[104] In the final, he again lost to Murray in straight sets. His next tournament was the 2008 Summer Olympics, his first 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, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Nadal. Djokovic then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semifinal, in the bronze medal match.[105]
After the Olympics, Djokovic entered the US Open seeded third, where he defeated Roddick in the quarterfinals. To a smattering of boos in a post-match interview, Djokovic criticized Roddick for accusing him of making excessive use of the trainer during matches and for suggesting that he was faking his injuries.[106] His run at the US Open ended in the semifinals when he lost to Federer in four sets, in a rematch of the previous year's final. In November, Djokovic was the second seed at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, beating Juan Martín del Potro and Nikolay Davydenko in the round-robin stage, and Gilles Simon in the semifinals. In the final, Djokovic defeated Davydenko to win his first title at the year-end championship.[107]
2009: Ten finals, five titles
Djokovic started the year at the Brisbane International, where he was upset by fellow Pilić academy trainee Ernests Gulbis in the first round.[108] As defending champion at the Australian Open, Djokovic retired from his quarterfinal match with former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, primarily due to heat illness that generated muscle aches and cramps.[109][110] After losing in the semifinals of the Open 13 tournament in Marseille to Tsonga, Djokovic won the singles title at the Dubai Championships, defeating Ferrer to claim his twelfth career title.[111] The following week, Djokovic was the defending champion at the Indian Wells Masters but lost to Roddick in the quarterfinals. At the Miami Open in Key Biscayne, Djokovic beat Federer in the semifinals, before losing to Murray in the final.[112]
Djokovic reached the final of the next Masters event, the Monte-Carlo Masters on clay, losing to Nadal in the final. At the Italian Open in Rome, Djokovic failed to defend the title he had won the previous year, losing to Nadal in the final again.[113] Djokovic was the top seed at his hometown tournament, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, beating Łukasz Kubot in the final to win his second title of the year.[114] Djokovic then reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open without dropping a set, where he lost to Nadal despite holding three match points. The match, at 4 hours and 3 minutes, was at the time the longest three-set singles match on the ATP Tour in the Open Era.[115] At the French Open, he lost in the third round to German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Djokovic 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 Tommy Haas.[116] Djokovic then lost to Haas again, this time in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.[117] During the US Open Series, Djokovic made the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open in Montreal before losing to Roddick. At the Cincinnati Masters, Djokovic defeated Nadal in the semifinals before losing in the final to Federer.[118] At the US Open, Djokovic reached the semifinals, where he was defeated by Federer.[119]
Djokovic then won his third title of the year at the China Open in Beijing, beating Marin Čilić in the final.[120] Djokovic then lost in the semifinals of the inaugural Shanghai Masters to Davydenko. At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Djokovic recorded his first 6–0, 6–0 win at an elite event when he defeated Jan Hernych in the second round.[121] He then defeat home player Wawrinka in the quarterfinals before saving three match to win his semifinal against Radek Štěpánek. In the final, he defeated home favorite and three-time defending champion Federer to win his fourth title of the year.[122] Djokovic won his first 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.[123]
Even though he came into the year-ending ATP Finals in London on a 10-match winning streak and as the defending champion, Djokovic failed to make it out from the round-robin stage despite beating both Davydenko and Nadal due to having fewer sets.[124] Djokovic ended the year as the No. 3 for the third consecutive year, having played 97 matches, the most of any player on the ATP Tour, which earned him the Ironman nickname, with a 78–19 win–loss record. In addition to leading the ATP Tour in match wins, he reached a career-best ten finals, winning five titles.[125]
2010s
2010: US Open final & Davis Cup crown
After playing nearly a hundred matches in 2009, Djokovic stated that he was "fed up with matches", so he decided not to play any ranking tournaments before the Australian Open, thus starting his year by playing in the AAMI Classic, an exhibition event, where he beat Tommy Haas, but lost to Fernando Verdasco and teenager Bernard Tomic.[125] At the Australian Open, Djokovic lost a five-setter to Tsonga in the quarterfinals.[126] Despite the loss, he attained a career-high ranking of No. 2 and went on to reach the semifinals in Rotterdam, where he lost to Mikhail Youzhny. At the Dubai Championships, Djokovic reached the final, this time defeating Youzhny to win his first title of the year and to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career.[127]
On 6–8 March 2010, Djokovic then took part in Serbia's Davis Cup tie against the United States on clay in Belgrade, where he played a key role in helping his country reach the quarterfinal in the Davis Cup for the first time in its independent history, winning both singles matches against Sam Querrey and John Isner in a 3–2 victory.[128] After early exits at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, Djokovic announced that he had ceased working with Todd Martin as his coach.[129]
In his first clay-court tournament of the year at the Monte-Carlo Masters, top-seeded Djokovic reached the semifinals with wins over Wawrinka and David Nalbandian before losing to Verdasco. Djokovic again lost to Verdasco at the Italian Open in Rome, this time in the quarterfinals.[130] As the defending champion at his hometown event, the Serbia Open in Belgrade, he withdrew in the quarterfinals while trailing No. 319 Filip Krajinović,[131] the lowest-ranked player to ever beat Djokovic as well as the only time that Djokovic lost to a player outside the Top 200.[132] Djokovic entered the French Open seeded third, where he lost to Jürgen Melzer in five sets, marking the only time he lost a match at a major after leading two sets to love.[133] Djokovic then won the first ATP doubles titles of his career at the Aegon Championships, pairing with Jonathan Erlich to beat Karol Beck and David Škoch in the final.[134] In Wimbledon, he lost in the semifinals to Tomáš Berdych in straight sets.[135]
Djokovic then competed at the Canadian Open in Toronto, where he lost to Federer in the semifinals. Djokovic also competed in doubles with Nadal in a one-time, high-profile partnership. This had not happened since 1976, when Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe as No. 1 and No. 2 paired together as a doubles team.[136] They lost in the first round to Canadians Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. Djokovic then lost to Roddick in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Masters.[137] As the third seed at the US Open, Djokovic came very close to losing in his opening round against Viktor Troicki in extreme heat. He then defeated Philipp Petzschner, James Blake, Mardy Fish, and Gaël Monfils, all in straight sets, to reach the US Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. There, he defeated Federer in five sets after saving two match points with forehand winners while serving to stay in the match at 4–5 in the fifth set. It was Djokovic's first victory over Federer at the US Open in four attempts, and his first victory over Federer in a Major since the 2008 Australian Open. Djokovic went on to lose to Nadal in the final, a match that saw Nadal complete his career Grand Slam.[138]
After helping Serbia defeat the Czech Republic 3–2 to make it to the Davis Cup final, Djokovic competed at the China Open as the top seed and defending champion. He won the title for the second successive year after defeating David Ferrer in the final. At the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic made a semifinal appearance, losing to Federer. Djokovic played his final tournament of the year at the ATP Finals in London, where he lost to Federer in the semifinals.[139]
Serbia progressed to the Davis Cup final, following the victories over Croatia (4–1) and the 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, Djokovic scored two singles points for Serbia, defeating Gilles Simon and Gaël Monfils.[140] 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. This two singles rubbers wins started a long unbeaten run that went on into 2011. Djokovic finished the year ranked 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 and "Serbian Athlete of the year" by DSL Sport.[66][141]
2011: Rise to the top in one of the greatest seasons in history
Djokovic began his season by winning the Australian Open. He only dropped one set en route to the title, beating Federer in the semifinals and Murray in the final to capture his second Australian Open title and his first grand slam in three years.[142][143]
He next competed at the Dubai Championships and beat Federer in the final in straight sets.[144] Two weeks later, Djokovic won his second Indian Wells title after beating Federer in the semifinals and Nadal in the final, both in three sets, thus becoming only the third player to beat Nadal and Federer in the same tournament twice, joining Nikolay Davydenko and David Nalbandian.[145][146] In Miami, Djokovic once again beat Nadal in the finals in three sets, with the final set being decided in a tiebreak.[147] After winning the Serbia Open, Djokovic won the Madrid and Italian Opens, beating Nadal in straight sets in both finals.[148][149] Beating Nadal in back-to-back matches on clay was a notable reversal due to the fact that he had previously lost all nine matches played against Nadal on clay.[149]
He continued his good form on clay at the French Open by dropping only one set en route to the semifinal, which he lost to Federer. This loss marked Djokovic's first defeat of the season (with Federer also being the last man to defeat Djokovic in 2010), ending a 43-match win streak, which included a 41–0 start to 2011.[150][151] Five weeks later at Wimbledon, Djokovic replaced Nadal as the world No. 1 and then defeated him in a four set final to take his first Wimbledon title.[152][153]
In Canada, Djokovic won his single-season record-breaking fifth Masters title with a three-set win over Mardy Fish in the final.[154] At the US Open, Djokovic beat Federer and Nadal on the way to the title, thus becoming only the second player to defeat both of them in the same Major event after Juan Martín del Potro in the 2009 US Open.[155] Djokovic saved match points en route to the title, saving two against Federer in the semifinals to complete a comeback from two sets down,[156][157] thus becoming just the second player to beat Federer from two sets down after Tsonga a few months earlier in Wimbledon.[158] Djokovic's crosscourt forehand return winner to save the first match point is widely regarded as one of the greatest shots in US Open history as well as one of the greatest returns in tennis history.[159][160] This was the second consecutive US Open where Djokovic saved two match points against Federer to reach the final, and the fifth consecutive US Open where Djokovic and Federer played each other.[156] Djokovic played Nadal in their second successive major final, winning the match in four sets and taking his first US Open title.[161][162][163]
With the victory, Djokovic extended his season record to an impressive 64–2.[162] However, his level dropped toward the season's end, beginning with a back injury sustained during the US Open which caused him to retire from the Davis Cup, and ending with a poor showing at the ATP Finals, in which he lost to David Ferrer and Janko Tipsarević, but saved match point against Tomáš Berdych to seal his 70th and final win of the year.[164] Djokovic concluded the season with a 70–6 record and a year-end ranking of No. 1. He was named the 2011 ITF World Champion.[165]
In total, Djokovic won ten tournaments in 2011,[26] including three Grand Slam tournament victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.[26] He also captured a then-record-breaking five ATP Masters titles,[26][166] and won $12.6 million on the ATP Tour.[26] Djokovic lost only two matches from the start of the season until the final match of the US Open in September, going 10–1 against Nadal and Federer, the other two best players of the year, including 6–0 against Nadal, all in Big Title finals.[167] Djokovic also had the most dominant record versus a world No. 1 for a single season, going 5–0 against Nadal before overtaking him as the world No. 1.
Pete Sampras declared Djokovic's 2011 season as the best he had seen in his lifetime, calling it "one of the best achievements in all of the sports."[168] Boris Becker called Djokovic's season "one of the very best years in tennis of all time", noting that it "may not be the best statistically, but he's beaten Federer, he's beaten Nadal, he's beaten everybody that came around to challenge him in the biggest tournaments in the world."[169] Rafael Nadal, who lost to Djokovic in six finals on hard, clay and grass courts, described Djokovic's performances as "probably the highest level of tennis that I ever saw."[170]
2012: Australian Open title, three Masters & Year-end Championship
Djokovic began his season by winning the Australian Open. In the quarterfinals, he defeated David Ferrer in three sets. In the semifinal, Djokovic beat Andy Murray in five sets after 4 hours and 50 minutes, recovering from a two-sets-to-one deficit and fending off break points at 5-all in the fifth set, in a rematch of the previous year's final.[171] In the final, Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in five sets, recovering from losing the first set and then a break down in the final set to win 7–5. At 5 hours and 53 minutes, the match was the longest Grand Slam final in Open Era history, as well as the longest match in Australian Open history, surpassing the 5-hour and 14-minute 2009 semifinal between Nadal and Fernando Verdasco.[172]
Djokovic was beaten by John Isner in the semifinals at Indian Wells. He successfully defended his title in Miami after beating Murray in the final.[173] In the Monte Carlo final, he lost in straight sets to Nadal. Djokovic also lost in straight sets to Nadal at the 2012 Rome Masters final.[174]
Djokovic reached his maiden French Open final by defeating Roger Federer,[175] reaching the final of all four majors consecutively. Djokovic had the chance to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles at once, having won last year's Wimbledon and US Open titles as well as this year's Australian Open, but was beaten by Nadal in the final in four sets.[176][177] Following the French Open, Djokovic failed to defend his title in Wimbledon, losing to Roger Federer in four sets in the semifinals.[178]
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Djokovic was chosen as the flag bearer for Serbia.[179] On 2 August 2012, Djokovic defeated French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and advanced to the semifinals, where he was beaten by Murray in straight sets.[180] In the bronze medal match he lost to Juan Martín del Potro, finishing fourth.[181] He successively defended his Rogers Cup title, dropping just a single set to Tommy Haas. Following the Rogers Cup, Djokovic made the final of the Cincinnati Masters but lost to Federer in straight sets.[182]
At the US Open, Djokovic reached his third consecutive final by beating fourth-seeded David Ferrer in a match suspended a day due to rain.[183][184] He then lost to Murray in a five set final that lasted 4 hours and 54 minutes, the joint-longest US Open in history.[185] This final also set the records for both the longest tiebreak (24 minutes) and the longest rally (54 shots) in a major final, won by Murray and Djokovic respectively.[186] Djokovic went on to defend his China Open title, defeating Tsonga in straight sets.[187] The following week he won the Shanghai Masters by defeating Murray in the final.[188] With Federer's withdrawal from the Paris Masters, Djokovic regained the No. 1 ranking.[189] On 12 November 2012, Djokovic won the 2012 ATP Finals by defeating Federer in the final.[190][191] Because of his achievements in the 2012 season, Djokovic was named the 2012 ITF World Champion in men's singles by the International Tennis Federation.[192]
2013: Australian Open title, three Masters & Year-end Championship
Djokovic started his preparations for the 2013 season by playing the Hopman Cup with Ana Ivanovic, winning three of his four singles matches, including in the final against Fernando Verdasco of Spain in an eventual 1–2 loss.[193] In his first competitive tournament of the year, Djokovic beat Stan Wawrinka in a five-set epic in the fourth round of the Australian Open, lasting over five hours, and being deemed to be one of the best matches ever played,[194][195][196] with Wawrinka deeming it to have been the best match that he ever played.[197][198] He later defeated Andy Murray in the final to win a record third consecutive Australian Open trophy and the sixth major of his career.[199] A week later, he participated in a Davis Cup match against Belgium, where he defeated Olivier Rochus to give the Serbian team a 2–0 lead.[200]
On 2 March 2013, Djokovic defeated Tomáš Berdych in the final of the Dubai Championships.[201] Another solid week of tennis saw Djokovic reach the semifinals at the Indian Wells Masters, before losing to Juan Martín del Potro, ending his 22-match winning streak.[202] The following week, Djokovic entered the Miami Masters as the defending champion, but lost in the fourth round to Tommy Haas in straight sets.[203]
In April, Djokovic played for Serbia against the United States in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Djokovic clinched a tie for his team by defeating John Isner and Sam Querrey.[204][205] Later that month, he defeated eight-time champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters to clinch his first title in Monte Carlo.[206] In May, he was defeated by Grigor Dimitrov in three sets in the second round of the Madrid Open in Madrid.[207] The following week, he lost to Berdych at the quarterfinal stage of the Rome Masters.[208]
Djokovic began his French Open campaign with wins over David Goffin, Guido Pella, and Dimitrov in straight sets.[209] In the fourth round he recovered from a set down and defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in four sets.[210] In the process, he reached a 16th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, which he won over Tommy Haas. Djokovic then lost to Nadal in the semifinal in a five-set epic.[211]
At Wimbledon, Djokovic defeated Juan Martín del Potro in a five-set epic that lasted 4 hours and 44 minutes, which at the time was the longest Wimbledon semifinal in history.[212] Djokovic then lost the final to Murray in straight sets. At the Canadian Open, he lost to Nadal in the semifinal in three sets. Later, Djokovic lost to Isner in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati. Djokovic went on to reach the US Open final, where he met Nadal for the 37th time in his career (a new Open Era record). He went on to lose in four sets.[213] In early October, Djokovic collected his fourth Beijing title by defeating Nadal in the final in straight sets. He also collected his second Shanghai Masters title, extending his winning streak to 20–0 over the last two seasons at the hard-court Asian swing of the tour.[214] Djokovic won his 16th Masters title in Paris at the end of the season, beating David Ferrer in the final.[215] At the 2013 ATP Finals Djokovic retained his trophy, beating Nadal in straight sets.[216] At the end of the season, Boris Becker joined his staff as head coach.
2014: Wimbledon title, four Masters & Year-end Championship
Djokovic began the year with a warmup tournament win, the 2013 Mubadala Championship. At the Australian Open, he won his first four matches in straight sets against Lukáš Lacko, Leonardo Mayer, Denis Istomin, and No. 15 seed Fabio Fognini respectively. He met Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of the tournament, the second consecutive year the two had met at the event. Despite coming back from two sets to one down, Djokovic fell 9–7 in the fifth set, ending his 25–match winning streak in Melbourne, as well as his streak of 14 consecutive Grand Slam tournament semifinals.[217]
Djokovic won his third Indian Wells Masters title, defeating Federer in the final. Continuing his good run, he beat No. 1 Nadal in the final of the Miami Masters in straight sets.[218] Suffering from a wrist injury which hampered him throughout the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic lost the semifinals to Federer in straight sets. After returning from injury, Djokovic won his third Rome title by beating Nadal in the final of the Italian Open.[219] He subsequently donated the $500,000 in prize money that he had received to the victims of the 2014 Southeast Europe floods.[220]
Djokovic reached the final of the French Open losing only two sets in six matches but lost in the final to Nadal in four sets.[221] It was Djokovic's first defeat in the last 5 matches between both. At the Wimbledon Championships Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the final in five sets, winning with a scoreline of 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4. With this victory he replaced Rafael Nadal again as the world No. 1.[222] Djokovic played at the Canadian Open, losing to eventual first-time champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.[223] He followed that with a loss to Tommy Robredo at the Cincinnati Masters. At the US Open, Djokovic reached the semifinals, where he lost in four sets to Kei Nishikori.[224]
Djokovic returned to Beijing with a fifth trophy in six years, defeating Murray in the semifinal and Berdych in the final.[225] The following week he was beaten by Federer in the semifinal of Shanghai Masters. He then won the Paris Masters title, without losing a single set, beating Raonic in the final.[226]
In the ATP Finals, Djokovic created a record by winning three round-robin matches with a loss of just nine games. By reaching the semifinal, he also secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for the third time, tying him with Nadal in the fifth position. He was awarded the ATP Finals trophy after Federer withdrew before the final.[227] This marked the seventh title of the season for him and the fourth title at the year-end event.
2015: One of the greatest tennis seasons of all time
Djokovic began the season at the Qatar Open in Doha, where he won his first two rounds for the loss of just 6 games, however, lost in the quarterfinals against Ivo Karlović in three tight sets. He rebounded from this defeat well at the Australian Open, where he made it through the first five rounds without dropping a set. In the semifinals, he faced defending champion Stan Wawrinka, the man who beat him the previous year. He twice lost a set lead, however, came roaring back in the fifth to take it to love, and set up a third final against Andy Murray. After splitting the first two sets in tiebreakers, Djokovic found his form after dropping his serve at the start of the third set, going on to win 12 of the last 13 games to record a four-set victory over the Scot, and win an Open Era record-breaking fifth title in Melbourne, overtaking Roger Federer and Andre Agassi.[228] He moved into equal eighth on the all-time list of men with the most Major titles, tying Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, Ken Rosewall and Fred Perry.[229]
He next competed at the Dubai Championships and lost to Federer in the final.[230] After 2 weeks, Djokovic defeated John Isner and Andy Murray en route to his 21st Masters title, beating Federer in three sets in Indian Wells.[231] In Miami, he defeated David Ferrer and John Isner en route to winning his fifth title defeating Andy Murray in three sets. With his 22nd Masters title, Djokovic became the first player to complete the Indian Wells – Miami title double three times.[232][233] In April, Djokovic clinched his second Monte-Carlo Masters by beating Tomáš Berdych in the final.[234] Therefore, Djokovic became the first man to win the first three ATP Masters 1000 titles of the season.[235] Djokovic withdrew from the 2015 Madrid Masters.[236] He won the title for the fourth time at the Rome Masters, making it 4 out of 4 titles in Masters events entered by Djokovic in the season.
He continued his good form on clay at the French Open by reaching the final without dropping a set in the first five rounds, including a quarterfinal clash with Nadal and a five-set semifinal victory over No. 3 seed Andy Murray which took two days to complete. This meant he became only the second man to have won against Nadal at the French Open. However, he lost the next match and the tournament to No. 8 seed Stan Wawrinka in four sets.[237] Five weeks later, he rebounded again from the tough loss in Paris, just like 2014, coming from two sets down to beat Kevin Anderson in the fourth round, and then going on to claim his third Wimbledon title, with a four-set win over Roger Federer.[238]
Prior to the final Grand Slam event of the year, Djokovic had the chance to become the first man in history to complete the full set of Masters titles in Cincinnati, achieving the Career Golden Masters, but he lost the final to Federer (Djokovic would accomplish the feat at the 2018 and 2020 events).[239] At the US Open, Djokovic reached the final for the sixth time in his career, achieving the feat of reaching all four Grand Slam finals in a single calendar year. In the final, he faced Federer once again, defeating him in four sets to win his third Grand Slam title of the year, his second title at Flushing Meadows, and his tenth Grand Slam singles title overall, becoming the fifth man in the Open Era to win double-digit Grand Slam singles titles, as well as only the third man to reach all four Major finals in a calendar year.[240]
He returned to China Open in October, winning the title for the sixth time, defeating Nadal in straight sets in the final to bring his overall record at the tournament to 29–0.[241] Djokovic then reached the final of the Paris Masters, where he defeated Murray in straight sets, taking his fourth title there and a record sixth ATP Masters tournament in one year.[242] After losing to Federer in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals he took on the third seed again in the final. He beat Federer in straight sets winning his fifth ATP Finals title and becoming the first player to win the Year-end Championships four consecutive times.[243]
By the end of the season, Djokovic made a season-record 15 consecutive finals, reaching the championship match of every top-level tournament he played (four in Majors, eight in Masters, and the final at the Year-end Championships). He won 11 titles including a season-record 10 Big Titles (three Majors, six Masters, and the Year-end Championships) on all court surfaces and conditions (hard, clay, grass and indoors). Djokovic set a season-record of 16,585 for most ranking points accumulated as world No. 1. and had a season-record 31 victories over top-10 players, including a remarkable 15–4 winning record against the other members of the Big Four, Federer, Nadal, and Murray. The 2015 season is Djokovic's most successful season as of 2022, and it is considered one of the greatest seasons in tennis history.[244]
2016: Historic 'Nole Slam', four Masters & ranking points record
Djokovic collected his 60th career title in Doha, defeating Rafael Nadal in two sets in a final that lasted 73 minutes. He broke his own ATP ranking points record, bringing it up to 16,790. Djokovic then proceeded to win his sixth Australian Open. On his road to his Open Era record sixth title in Melbourne, he defeated Roger Federer in four sets in the semifinals, and in a rematch of the 2015 final, he defeated Andy Murray, in three straight sets.[245] He quickly rebounded from an eye infection at the Dubai Championships to collect a fifth Indian Wells Masters title, defeating Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, and Milos Raonic in the final. Djokovic's run was so dominant that the world no. 2 and 3 (Andy Murray and Roger Federer) could have combined their points and still not have had enough to pass him in the rankings.[246]
On 3 April 2016, Djokovic won the Miami Open for the third consecutive year, and did so without dropping a set en route to his sixth career Miami Open title, tying him with Andre Agassi for most ever Miami Open men's singles titles.[247] In addition, the victory marked the fourth year Djokovic completed the Sunshine Double in his career, the most Sunshine Doubles out of any player in history, and 2016 being the third consecutive year that Djokovic completed it. His win in Miami also saw Djokovic surpass Roger Federer to become the all-time leading prize money winner on the ATP tour with career earnings of $98.2 million.[248] After an early round exit at the Monte-Carlo Masters,[249] Djokovic quickly bounced back by winning the Madrid title for the second time in his career, with a three-set victory over Murray.[250] They met again in the Rome Masters final one week later with Murray as the victor; despite a sluggish performance, Djokovic defeated Nadal and Kei Nishikori in two long quarterfinals and semifinals.[251]
Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in the final of the French Open in four sets, making him the reigning champion of all four major tournaments, a historic feat the media dubbed the Nole Slam.[252][253] With his French Open triumph, Djokovic became the eighth player in history to achieve a Career Grand Slam, the third player in history after Don Budge and Rod Laver to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, and the first player to win $100 million in prize money.[254] The victory at the French Open brought his ATP ranking points up to a new record of 16,950.[255][256] At Wimbledon, his major win streak came to an end in the third-round when he lost to American Sam Querrey in four sets. It was his earliest exit in a Grand Slam since the 2009 French Open.[257]
In late July, Djokovic returned to form by winning his fourth Canadian Open title, and 30th Masters title overall, without dropping a set.[258] In August, Djokovic was beaten in the first round of the Olympic men's singles in Rio de Janeiro by Juan Martín del Potro. It was Djokovic's first opening round defeat since January 2009, when Ernest Gulbis defeated him at the 2009 Brisbane International.[259][260] In the final slam of the year, the US Open, Djokovic advanced to the final but was defeated by Stan Wawrinka in four sets.[261] Djokovic was defeated by Roberto Bautista Agut and Marin Čilić in the semifinals and quarterfinals of Shanghai and Paris. Due to this result, he lost the No. 1 ranking to Andy Murray.[262] However, a runner-up finish at the ATP Finals indicated his best performances in nearly three months. After the season, he parted ways with his coach of three years, Boris Becker.[263]
2017: Split with team and long injury hiatus
In January, Djokovic defended his title in Doha after defeating the new world No. 1 Andy Murray. At the Australian Open, he was upset in the second round by world No. 117 Denis Istomin. This was the first time since 2007 that Djokovic failed to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, and the first time in his career that he lost to a player ranked outside of the top 100 at a major.[264] In February and March, Djokovic played at the Mexican Open and Indian Wells Masters, but was eliminated by Nick Kyrgios in both events before the semifinals. In April, Djokovic reached the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to David Goffin. After the tournament, he chose to split with his long-time coach Marián Vajda, fitness specialist Gebhard Phil-Gritsch, and physiotherapist Miljan Amanović, citing the need to find a winning spark. A better showing at the Madrid Masters saw Djokovic reach the semifinals, losing to Nadal in straight sets.[265] A runner-up result at the Rome Masters indicated improvement in his form.
On 21 May 2017, Djokovic announced that Andre Agassi would become his new coach, starting at the French Open. However, as the defending champion, he lost in the quarterfinals to Dominic Thiem.[266] He began the grass court season at the Eastbourne International, playing his first non-Wimbledon tournament on grass since 2010. He won the title by beating Gaël Monfils in the final. This was also the only tournament that Djokovic won without his coach being Marián Vajda until the duo split in 2022. He made it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before retiring against Tomáš Berdych due to an elbow injury.[267]
On 26 July, Djokovic announced he would miss the US Open and the rest of the 2017 season to recover from his elbow injury.[268] This was the first time that he missed a major tournament since he entered his first, the 2005 Australian Open, thus ending his streak of participating in 51 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, the seventh-longest run in history.[269]
2018: Surgery and resurgence; two Majors, return to No. 1 & historic Golden Masters
In January, Djokovic defeated Dominic Thiem at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament. At the 2018 Australian Open, he reached the fourth round, where he was upset by Chung Hyeon. In late January, he underwent surgery on his elbow.[270] On 3 March, Djokovic returned to the practice courts,[271] and surprisingly played at Indian Wells only a week later, losing in the second round to Taro Daniel.[272] He then lost to Benoît Paire in the second round of the Miami Open.[273]
Reuniting with longtime coach Marián Vajda at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic collected victories over Dušan Lajović and Borna Ćorić, followed by a loss to Dominic Thiem. In a press conference, he stated, "After two years finally I can play without pain."[274] After another early exit in Barcelona to Martin Kližan,[275] Djokovic's gradual return to form would appear at the Madrid Masters. With a first round win over Kei Nishikori, Djokovic achieved his first victory over a top 20 player in 10 months; however, he lost in the second round to Kyle Edmund.[276][277] Going into the Rome Masters with a 6–6 season record, he reached the semifinals before losing to long-time rival Rafael Nadal.[278] He then reached the quarterfinals of the French Open before losing to Marco Cecchinato.[279]
Djokovic began the grass court season at Queen's Club, securing his first win over a top 5 player in almost 18 months by defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. He reached the final where, despite holding a championship point, he lost to Marin Čilić.[280] He also played doubles partnering with longtime friend and rival Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic then entered Wimbledon as the 12th seed, where he reached the semifinals to face Rafael Nadal. Djokovic defeated Nadal in a 5-hour and 17-minute, five-set epic spread over two days, becoming the second-longest Wimbledon semifinal in history, second only to the match between Kevin Anderson and John Isner held earlier on the same day.[281] In the final, he claimed his fourth Wimbledon title and 13th major title overall by defeating Kevin Anderson in straight sets. With the win, he rose 11 ranking spots and re-entered the top 10 for the first time since October 2017.[282] At No. 21, he was the lowest-ranked Wimbledon titlist since Goran Ivanišević in 2001.[283][284]
After a triumphant grass season, Djokovic started his North American hardcourt swing with a third-round showing at the Canadian Open, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Afterwards, he returned to play the Cincinnati Masters for the first time in three years. In an event plagued by suspended play due to rain, Djokovic defeated the defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, Milos Raonic, and Marin Čilić to reach his sixth final at the tournament and fourth final against Roger Federer. Although Federer was riding a streak of 100 consecutive holds of serve at the tournament,[285] dating back to the 2014 final,[286] Djokovic broke his serve three times to win his first Cincinnati Masters title. With this victory, Djokovic became the first (and, as of 2024, only) player in tennis history to complete the Career Golden Masters — winning all nine ATP Masters events at least once in one's career.[287]
Djokovic was the sixth seed at the US Open. He advanced to his eleventh US Open semifinal in as many appearances, where he overcame Kei Nishikori. Djokovic then defeated Juan Martín del Potro to win his third US Open title and 14th major title overall, tying with Pete Sampras's tally. With the win, Djokovic returned to the top 3 in the world rankings for the first time since the 2017 French Open.[288]
At the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic defeated Kevin Anderson and Alexander Zverev en route to the title, not dropping a set nor having his serve broken throughout. The win marked his fourth Shanghai title, and his ranking rose to No. 2.[289] On 31 October, Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the Paris Masters due to an abdominal injury, and Djokovic reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking.[290] There, Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in a tight three-set semifinal, but was upset by the unseeded Karen Khachanov in the final.[291] At the ATP Finals, Djokovic was guaranteed a fifth year-end No. 1 ranking following the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal from the event. In the round-robin stage, he defeated Alexander Zverev, Marin Čilić, and John Isner without dropping a set. In the semifinals, he defeated Kevin Anderson to reach his seventh final at the tournament but was upset by Zverev.[292] At the 2018 Mubadala Championship, he scored victories over Karen Khachanov & Kevin Anderson to win the title.
2019: Historic 7th Australian Open title & Wimbledon title
.jpg)
Djokovic's first tournament of the year was at the Qatar Open, where he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the semifinals. He then entered the Australian Open as the top seed, and defeated Rafael Nadal in the final to win his record seventh Australian Open and 15th major title overall.[293] Djokovic then played at the Indian Wells Masters, where he was upset by Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round,[294] and lost in the fourth round of the Miami Open to Bautista Agut.[295]
Djokovic then began his clay court season at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing in the quarterfinals to Daniil Medvedev.[296] During the Madrid Open, Novak Djokovic celebrated his 250th week at world number 1 in ATP rankings.[297] By beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final, Djokovic claimed his third Madrid Open title and record-equaling 33rd ATP Masters title overall.[298] At the Italian Open, he reached the final after a brutal victory over long time rival Juan Martín del Potro,[299] where he lost to Rafael Nadal.[300] Djokovic competed in the French Open, reaching the semifinals without dropping a set. His fourth-round win made him the first man to reach 10 consecutive quarterfinals at the French Open. In the semifinals, he lost to Dominic Thiem in a four-hour, five-set match stretched across two days, in one of the matches of the year,[301] ending his 26-match winning streak in majors and his search for a second 'Nole Slam".[302]
At Wimbledon, Djokovic defended his title to win his fifth Wimbledon title and 16th major title overall, defeating Roger Federer in an epic five-set final that lasted a record four hours and fifty-seven minutes. Djokovic, who won fewer points overall than Federer, saved two championship points in the fifth set to win the title.[303][304] Djokovic next played at the Cincinnati Open as the defending champion, but lost to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.[305] As the defending champion at the 2019 US Open, Djokovic lost to Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round, retiring due to injury whilst trailing by 2 sets and a break.[306] In October, Djokovic defeated John Millman in straight sets to win the Japan Open.[307] At the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic reached the quarterfinal stage, but lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.[308] In November, Djokovic won his fifth Paris Masters title over Denis Shapovalov.[309] Djokovic then played at the 2019 ATP Finals but was eliminated in the round robin stage after losses to Dominic Thiem and Federer (his first loss to Federer since 2015).[310]
2020s
2020: ATP Cup crown, Australian Open title & double Golden Masters
At the inaugural 2020 ATP Cup, Djokovic led Serbia to the title by scoring six victories, including wins over Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals and Rafael Nadal in the final.[311] At the Australian Open, he defeated longtime rival Roger Federer in straight sets en route to the final where he overcame Dominic Thiem in five sets. This marked Djokovic's eighth win at the Australian Open and 17th Grand Slam title.[312] With the win, Djokovic regained the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings,[313] and became the first player since Ken Rosewall to win major titles in three different decades, and the first to do so in the Open Era. The match also marked the first time Djokovic came back to win a major final after trailing two sets to one, having lost each of the last seven times this happened.[314] Djokovic then won the title at Dubai Championships for the fifth time, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.[315][316]
In June, Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 during the Adria Tour, a series of charity exhibition games in Balkans that he helped organize. Djokovic was criticized for holding the event with a lack of social distancing and other precautions taken against COVID-19.[317][318] The last match of the tour was cancelled after several players, their partners, and coaches tested positive for the virus.[319] Djokovic stated he was "deeply sorry", admitting he and organizers "were wrong" to go ahead with the event and that they believed the tournament met all health protocols.[320] He also said that many of the criticisms were malicious, adding: "It's obviously more than just criticism, it's like an agenda and a witch hunt".[321][322]
With the resumption of the ATP Tour, Djokovic defeated Milos Raonic to win his second Cincinnati Masters title. By doing so, he won his 35th Masters title, completing his second career Golden Masters.[323] In the fourth round of the US Open, Djokovic was defaulted after accidentally hitting a line official in the throat with a tennis ball during his fourth round match against Pablo Carreño Busta.[324] The United States Tennis Association docked Djokovic all ranking points he would have earned at the tournament and fined him the prize money that he would have won had the incident not occurred.[325] On 21 September, Djokovic moved past Pete Sampras for the second most weeks spent as the world number 1 player.
Djokovic next won a record 36th Masters title and his fifth in Rome, defeating Diego Schwartzman in the final.[326] At the rescheduled French Open, Djokovic lost in straight sets to Rafael Nadal in the final.[327] Djokovic then played at the Vienna Open, where he was upset in the quarterfinals by Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets.[328] In the ATP Finals, Djokovic lost to Daniil Medvedev in the round robin, but defeated Alexander Zverev and Diego Schwartzman. He then lost his semifinal match to Dominic Thiem.[329] On 21 December, Djokovic reached his 300th career week as the number 1 singles tennis player.[330][331]
2021: Major titles on all three surfaces, historic double Career Slam & No. 1 records
Djokovic began his 2021 season by playing for Serbia as the defending champions in the ATP Cup, but the nation was eliminated in the group stage despite Djokovic winning both his singles matches.[332] He then went on to win his 18th major title and record-extending ninth title at the Australian Open, over Daniil Medvedev in the final.[333] On 1 March, Djokovic equaled Federer's Open Era record of 310 weeks at world No. 1, and subsequently surpassed it.[334][335] Djokovic next played at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost his third round match to Dan Evans.[336] Djokovic then played at the Serbia Open, losing a lengthy three-set semifinal to Aslan Karatsev.[337] At the Italian Open, Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a three-set epic played over two days in the quarterfinals,[338][339] and Lorenzo Sonego in the semifinals, but lost in a three-set final to Rafael Nadal.
At the French Open, Djokovic advanced to the final after defeating Rafael Nadal in a four-set semifinal epic. It marked only Nadal's second loss to Djokovic (and third loss overall) at the event. In the final, Djokovic came back from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets.[340] He became the first player in the Open Era to win a Major after coming back from a two-set deficit in two separate matches;[341] Djokovic also became only the third man to win all four singles majors at least twice, and the first to do so in the Open Era.[342][343][344]
At the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic recorded the 100th grass-court win by reaching the semifinals,[345] and defeated Matteo Berrettini in the final to claim his sixth Wimbledon title and equal Federer and Nadal's all-time record of 20 men's singles major titles. Djokovic became the second player to win Majors on three different surfaces in the same year achieving a "Surface Slam"[346] and the fifth man in the Open Era to achieve the "Channel Slam", winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.[347] Djokovic opened his summer hard court season at the Tokyo Olympics, where he sought to improve on his bronze medal result from Beijing 2008.[348] However, he lost in the semifinals to Alexander Zverev, and then to Pablo Carreño Busta in the bronze medal match. Djokovic also competed in mixed doubles partnering Nina Stojanović; the pair lost in the semifinals to Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina, then withdrew from their bronze medal match against WTA singles No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and John Peers, with Djokovic citing a shoulder injury.[349][350]
Djokovic then entered the US Open vying to be the third man in history to achieve the Grand Slam in men's singles.[351] In the third round, Djokovic faced Kei Nishikori and lost the first set, but won the next three sets to advance; he repeated this pattern against Jenson Brooksby[352] and Matteo Berrettini. In the semifinals, he defeated Alexander Zverev in five sets, to advance to his record-equaling 31st major final.[353] There, he faced Daniil Medvedev but lost in straight sets, ending his chances of achieving the Grand Slam.[354]
At the Paris Masters, Djokovic defeated Hubert Hurkacz to reach the final, which secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for the seventh time, breaking Pete Sampras' all-time record. In the final, he avenged his US Open loss to Daniil Medvedev to win his sixth Paris Masters title and record 37th ATP Masters title overall.[355] At the 2021 ATP Finals, Djokovic was defeated in the semifinals by Zverev.[356] Djokovic finished the season by leading Serbia to the semifinals of 2021 Davis Cup Finals, where they lost to Croatia.[357]
2022: Travel restrictions, Wimbledon title, Masters titles record & Year-end Championship
Australian Open controversy
Djokovic was set to begin his 2022 season by participating in the ATP Cup in Sydney but pulled out.[358] In order to play at the Australian Open, where he was a three-time defending champion, the Victorian Government required all players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption. Djokovic was one of "a handful" of players and staff to be granted a medical exemption by Tennis Australia and the Department of Health in Victoria.[359][360][361][362] It was later revealed that Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 on 16 December 2021 which was used as the basis for his exemption.[363]
Djokovic had been granted a visa to enter Australia on 18 November 2021.[364] He travelled to Melbourne on 5 January but was detained by the Australian Border Force after they determined that he did not meet the entry requirements for an unvaccinated traveller.[365][366] Djokovic disclosed that a member of his support team ticked a box on his application form stating he had not travelled abroad two weeks before he left for Australia; however, he had been to Spain at that time.[367] His visa was cancelled and he was held in an immigration detention hotel for several days awaiting a court hearing.[368]
On 10 January, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ordered his release and awarded costs,[369][370][371] ruling that the visa cancelation process undertaken by Australian border officials was flawed on the basis that they did not give Djokovic sufficient time to contact his lawyers and tennis authorities before his official interview. The Australian Government conceded that the cancelation was "unreasonable in [the] circumstances".[372]
On 14 January 2022, Alex Hawke, Australia's Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, exercised his ministerial powers under sections 133C(3) and 116(1)(e)(i) of the Migration Act 1958 to cancel Djokovic's visa,[373] citing "health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so".[374] Djokovic applied for a judicial review, but three Federal Court of Australia judges unanimously dismissed his application on 16 January, preventing his participation in the 2022 Australian Open.[375][376][377] Djokovic said he was "extremely disappointed" with the decision but accepted the ruling, and flew out of Australia to Dubai that night.[378][379][380] Because he was removed using ministerial powers under the Migration Act, he is now barred from returning to Australia for three years,[381] although each visa application is reviewed on its merits.[381] As of November 2022, this visa ban has been overturned by the recently elected Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.[382]
In February, Djokovic gave an interview to the BBC regarding his deportation from Australia, stating he is willing to forego career records by sticking to his principles of free choice and not having the COVID-19 vaccine.[11] In May, he admitted that the court battle and his deportation from Australia "took a major toll" on him.[383] He said: "The amount of pressure and everything that I was feeling in the first few months of the year, as much as I've felt pressure in my life and my career, that was something really on a whole different level".[384]
After Australia
Djokovic entered the Dubai Championships in February, where vaccination was not required for entry.[385] He was upset in the quarterfinals by eventual finalist Jiří Veselý, resulting in him conceding his world No. 1 ranking to Daniil Medvedev. This marked the first time a man outside of the Big Four was ranked singles world No. 1 since Andy Roddick in February 2004.[386] Djokovic withdrew from both the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open, due to the United States forbidding unvaccinated foreign travellers.[387] Despite being unable to play, Djokovic regained the world No. 1 ranking after Medvedev's third-round defeat at Indian Wells.[388]
After being unable to play in March, Djokovic began his clay court season at the Monte-Carlo Masters in April. Seeded first, he received a bye in the first round and lost to eventual finalist Davidovich Fokina in the second, his first