Novak Djokovic

A relative newcomer to top level tennis, Novak Djokovic is one of the players to look out from at the 2008 US Open tennis championships. The young Serb possesses an excellent all round game, and is likely to mature into a championship winner in 2008.

Player Biography

Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade in 1987 and as a gifted youngster was sent to train at the Nicola Pilic tennis academy in Munich. Djokovic is well known for his on-court antics which have seen him perform his famous impersonations of rival men's singles players on court. He is also an outspoken opponent of Serb-Croat separatism.

Career

The Challenger and Futures ATP tournaments were the early testing grounds for Novak Djokovic's abilities when he turned professional in 2003 at the age of 16. The young player showed his class early on, winning two Challenger tournaments along with two Futures tournaments.

Grand Slam Record

Novak Djokovic's first taste of grand slam tennis was the 2006 French open where he managed to advance to the quarter-finals before being overpowered by clay master Rafael Nadal. A month later Djokovic progressed to the 4^th round of the Wimbledon tennis championships at first attempt.

The 2007 tennis season witnessed Novak Djokovic come of age, starting with a title in Adelaide. With the exception of the French Open Djokovic had a good showing at the grand slams, advancing to the semi-finals at Wimbledon before being put out by a back strain. He then achieved his best result in a grand slam at the US Open when he advanced to the final before being knocked out by world number one Roger Federer.

With his skills and temperament honed by the grand slams, Djokovic improved with each game and achieved his best result to date at the Canadian Masters. The young Serb defeated Roger Federer in the final having defeated Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal in his previous two matches – a series of wins that saw him beat the top three ranked players in the world in three consecutive days.

Playing Style

Novak Djokovic is recognised as an excellent all-round player with a powerful forehand and an excellent service game. He tends to play on the base line, but is equally formidable at the net with a deadly arsenal of slices, volleys and drop shots. He has developed a reputation for a slow build-up to his serves that can be quite disconcerting for his opponents.