STARNBERG, February 18, 2022 (Guest Post)

Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the most successful tennis players in the world. He maintained an impressive record throughout his career, and has demonstrated his commitment to the sport on a regular basis. 

Tennis truly is in Djokovic’s blood, and he has spent a great deal of time training under world-renowned coaches who allowed him to work on his accuracy, speed, and mental agility. These are the key reasons why this player’s legacy will continue to live on, and what makes it so impressive. 

Make sure that you are looking out for the next Novak Djokovic on the horizon, and seeing if you can make your own predictions using the latest Tennis betting odds. These are some reasons why Djokovic is considered the world number one player by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). 

Origins

Djokovic began playing tennis at the age of four. He had an enormous capacity for backhands and was sent to tennis camps during his childhood summers. It was here that his natural talent was acknowledged for the first time, and Djokovic went on to attend a tennis academy in Germany.  

At fourteen years old, Djokovic began to compete internationally, and won the European championship in singles, doubles, and team competitions. Competing in the Junior Davis Cup for players under fourteen, Djokovic reached the finals as a member of the Yugoslav national team. 

His natural talent and awareness of the game allowed the young Djokovic to become the highly successful professional tennis player that he is today. 

Australian Open

During his early career, Djokovic had already started to challenge the current world leaders in tennis. He won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2008. He quickly stood out from other men’s tennis players at age twenty, and shortly became the final piece of the ‘Big Three’ with his rivals who dominated the global tennis championships. 

Djokovic was known for an immense knowledge of the game and ability to make his movements seem effortless on the court. It is therefore no surprise that he secured a total of nine Australian Open titles during his career. 

There are numerous career wins that are considered to be the greatest contests ever by many, although the 2012 Australian Open final was highly significant within Djokovic’s career. He defeated one of the greatest tennis players and fellow member of the ‘Big Three’, which gained his title as one of the best players in the world. 

Olympics

Djokovic had the honor of representing Serbia at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and gained a bronze medal. 

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Djokovic was the national team’s flag bearer. However, he was less successful than his previous Olympic appearance, and lost against Andy Murray, who is known as a long-term rival to Djokovic. 

Injuries

In 2018, Djokovic underwent surgery on his elbow. While he was expected to take a short break from the court to fully recover, he appeared at Indian Wells one week later. He did, however, miss the US Open and a portion of the 2017 season due to his injury. 

Djokovic is highly committed to generating the best results and loves what he does, so it’s no wonder that he began playing as soon as he possibly could after surgery. 

Rivalries

In terms of iconic rivalries, Djokovic has been closely matched with players on top of the leaderboard who have a similar level of knowledge and skill to him. This allows some level of competition to develop, which makes for a highly tense and competitive game. 

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were the remaining members of the ‘Big Three’ who Djokovic has a record for opposing and knocking them off the leaderboard. Other than Nadal, Djokovic is the only other player to have defeated Federer in consecutive grand slam tournaments. 

Andy Murray is another rival, who matches Djokovic in age as well as core skills. One of the most iconic demonstrations of this was the 2012 Shanghai Masters. Djokovic saved each of Murray’s point opportunities, and ended his winning streak by the end of the championship. 

Summary

Novak Djokovic remains a highly influential member of the global tennis community because of his enormous capacity for speed, agility, and power. Having trained and competed with some of the best players in the world, he has his fair share of titles and records that are largely unmatched. 

Make sure to look out for the next Djokovic in up-and-coming players, to see who stands out and demonstrates a similar level of knowledge and athletic skill.