Novak Djokovic
A relative newcomer to top level tennis, Novak Djokovic is one of the players to look out from at the 2009 US Open tennis championships. The winner of the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic has struggled to hit top from in the 2009 season.
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 4th 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.
He won the 2008 Australian Open by defeating surprise finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after having knocked out reigning champion, Roger Federer, earlier in the tournament. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he managed to claimed his first olympic medal, sending his professional tennis career to new heights.The Serb then finished off his season with a win at the Masters Cup.
2009 saw Novak Djokovic change his racquet, a decision that immediately led to a drop in form. Djokovic has since struggled to challenge the top players in the world, and is not regarded as a serious contender heading into the 2009 US Open.
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.
