Novak Djokovic - from facing war to becoming the world's best player

Novak Djokovic is a name that needs no introduction. The current world number one is a champion in every sense of the word. He has won seven Grand Slam titles so far in his career. The Serb has finished the year as the No. 1 player in three of the last four seasons.Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open where he beat Roger Federer in the semifinals. The tennis scene was dominated by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and Djokovic winning in Melbourne was seen by many as the starting point for the formation of Big 3 in tennis. However, that wasn’t to be for a couple of years. It was puzzling for tennis fans as Djokovic moved and covered the court like Nadal and played aggressive shots like Federer. His fitness was always a question mark in harsh conditions. He needed to be mentally stronger to challenge the Top 2. The Belgrade native also improved his serve which is a big weapon in the game. The results started showing as he pocketed three Majors and five Masters 1000 titles in 2011. Pete Sampras described it as “one of the best achievements in all of sports”. Nadal praised Djokovic saying it was “probably the highest level of tennis that I ever saw”.The Serb has been one of the most consistent players who can adapt to any surface without much difficulty.

#1 The beginning

Novak Djokovic was born on the 22nd of May, 1987 in Belgrade, Serbia. His father Srdjan and mother Dijana owned a company called Family Sports which has three restaurants and a tennis academy. Djokovic's father, uncle and his aunt were professional skiers and his father was also an excellent soccer player, but Djokovic was made for tennis, or now as his fans believe, tennis was meant for Djokovic.

#2 The war that builds

Djokovic was six when he was spotted by the Yugoslavian tennis legend Jelena Gencic in the summer of 1993 at his parents’ academy. Gencic then trained Novak for the next six years. This was the time of war in former Yugoslavia, and the bombing forced Djokovic and his family to spend a lot of nights in their basement.

Djokovic says that the war made him tougher and eventually resulted in him pursuing tennis with a greater determination.

#3 Rise of the superstar

He was 13, when he was sent to the Pilic Academy in Munich, Germany, to hone his tennis skills. He began his international career when he was 14. The 14- year old made history when he ended the year with three gold medals in the European Championships, one each in singles, doubles and team events. He also won the Silver at the World Junior Championships for Yugoslavia.

It was seen as the sign of things to come for the rising superstar.

#4 The grooming of the champion

By the time he was 16, he was shaking the tennis world with some enthralling performances. He had won five ITF titles and was ranked among the 40 best junior tennis players across the globe. In 2004, he won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Budapest. The very next year, he reached the third round of the Wimbledon Championships and broke into the top-100 of men’s ranking.

#5 The breakthrough

2007 was an amazing year for the Serb when he reached the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon Championships. He won his second masters title in Montreal where he beat the likes of Federer, Nadal and Andy Roddick, and finally broke into the top-3 rankings. In 2008, he won his first Major in Melbourne and represented Serbia in Beijing Olympics where he won a Bronze medal.

#6 Becoming the best player in the world

Djokovic helped Serbia win the Davis Cup title in 2010. 2011 was by far the best year for the Serb as he won 43 matches in a row including wins at the Australian Open, Miami Masters and Indian Wells Masters titles. He ended the year winning three Majors in total and reached the No. 1 ranking in the world.

#7 Third Australian Open title

In 2012, Djokovic successfully defended the Australian Open and made it into the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships. He also won titles in Miami and Toronto

#8 100 weeks at the top

The Serb won his third consecutive Australian Open in 2013 and reached semifinals or better in rest of the Grand Slams that year. He won titles in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and clinched the ATP World Tour finals trophy in London beating Nadal in straight sets. He also completed 100 weeks as the No. 1 player in the world.

#9 Life, tennis and love

In 2014, Djokovic tied the knot with long time girlfriend Jelena Ristic whom he began dating way back in 2005. The wedding was even more special because it happened a couple of days just after his Wimbledon win against Roger Federer. It was Djokovic’s seventh Grand Slam title.

He replaced Nadal as the world number one. He won the most titles last year.

#10 More wins and more records await

It will be interesting to see the Serb’s performance in 2015. Will he be able to hold on to his No. 1 ranking? Will he win the French Open to complete his career Grand Slam? Can other players stop him from dominating the game?

These and a lot more questions will be answered this year.