Novak Djokovic

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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. 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.

In Their Own Story

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.

Reader's Guide

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.

Did You Know?

• Djokovic is the only man in tennis history to have been the reigning champion of all four majors at once across three different surfaces.
• He is the only player in singles to have won all of the Big Titles over the course of his career.
• Djokovic was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year five times, tied with Roger Federer for the most of all time.
• He co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2020 with Vasek Pospisil.

Unprecedented Grand Slam Dominance

Novak Djokovic holds a record 24 major singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles. He 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. He completed the Career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam at the 2016 French Open, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors simultaneously. In 2023, he claimed the all-time record for most men's singles majors titles.

Masters and Year-End Supremacy

Djokovic holds a record 40 Masters titles and is the first player to complete a Career Golden Masters, and the only player to accomplish it twice. He also holds a record seven year-end championships. In 2015, he had his most successful season, reaching a record 15 consecutive finals and winning 10 Big Titles. In 2024, he became the only player to complete a career sweep of the Big Titles.

The Longevity of World Number One

Djokovic has been ranked as the world No. 1 for a record 428 weeks. He finished as the year-end No. 1 a record eight times and has been ranked No. 1 at least once in a year for a record 13 different years. He set a rankings points record of 16,950 in 2016.

Historic Streaks and Career Milestones

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. In 2015, he reached a record 15 consecutive finals and earned 31 victories over top-10 players. He won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Representing Serbia, he led the national tennis team to the Davis Cup crown in 2010 and the ATP Cup crown in 2020.