Challenges Faced by Novak Djokovic: Obstacles and Turning Points

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Novak Djokovic's life and career.

Novak Djokovic, a Serbian professional tennis player, holds the record for the most weeks ranked world No. 1 by the ATP (428) and year-end No. 1 finishes (8). He's won 100 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including a record 24 majors and 10 Australian Open titles. He also holds records for Masters titles (40) and year-end championships (7). Djokovic is the only man to simultaneously hold all four major titles across three surfaces and the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam. He is also the only player to complete a Career Golden Masters twice and the only singles player to have won all of the Big Titles.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

2007: First Early Exit Since 2007

In 2007, Novak Djokovic experienced his first early exit from a tournament since 2007 at the Australian Open, losing in the second round to Denis Istomin.

2009: Earliest Grand Slam Exit Since 2009 French Open

At Wimbledon in 2016, Djokovic's 30-match Grand Slam winning streak ended with a third-round loss to Sam Querrey, marking his earliest Slam exit since the 2009 French Open.

2009: Djokovic experiences technical difficulties, switches to Head racket series

During the 2009 season, Djokovic experienced technical difficulties with his serve, coinciding with his switch to the Head racket series.

2009: 2009 Season

In 2009, Djokovic played nearly 100 matches. He reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, then made the final in Cincinnati, beating Nadal in the semifinals before falling to Federer. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals, where he was again defeated by Federer.

2009: 2009 US Open Series and US Open

In 2009, Djokovic reached the quarterfinals in Montreal and the final in Cincinnati during the US Open Series, losing to Roger Federer in the final. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals but was again defeated by Roger Federer.

2010: 2010 Season Events

In 2010, Djokovic began the year at the Australian Open, falling in the quarterfinals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He won the Dubai Championships, defending an ATP title for the first time. He led Serbia to a win over the United States in the Davis Cup. At the French Open, he lost to Jürgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. He won his first ATP doubles title at the Aegon Championships with Jonathan Erlich. At the US Open Djokovic saved two match points at 4-5 in the fifth set before beating Federer in the semi finals, but lost to Nadal in the final in four sets.

2010: Tsonga defeats Djokovic at Australian Open

In 2010, Tsonga defeated Djokovic at the Australian Open after Djokovic fell ill during the match.

2011: Del Potro defeats Djokovic at Davis Cup

In 2011, Del Potro defeated Djokovic at the Davis Cup.

2012: Del Potro defeats Djokovic at Summer Olympics

In 2012, Del Potro defeated Djokovic in the Bronze medal match at the Summer Olympics.

2012: 2012 Summer Olympics and US Open

In 2012, Djokovic was Serbia's flag bearer at the Summer Olympics in London. He lost to Andy Murray in the semifinals and then to Juan Martín del Potro in the bronze medal match, finishing fourth. At the US Open, Djokovic lost in the final in five sets to Murray.

2012: Djokovic wins longest major final against Nadal at the Australian Open

In 2012, Djokovic won the longest major final ever played against Nadal at the Australian Open, a five-set match lasting 5 hours and 53 minutes.

2013: Del Potro wins Indian Wells Masters; Djokovic wins Wimbledon and Shanghai Masters

In 2013, Del Potro won the Indian Wells Masters, where Djokovic lost in the final. Djokovic defeated del Potro at the Wimbledon Championships semifinals and the Shanghai Masters final.

2013: Djokovic wins five-set match against Wawrinka at Australian Open and US Open

In 2013, Djokovic won 12-10 in the fifth set against Wawrinka in the Australian Open fourth round, which was considered one of the best matches ever played. Also, Djokovic won 6-4 in the fifth set against Wawrinka at the 2013 US Open semifinals.

2013: 2013 Season Highlights

In 2013, Djokovic won three of his four singles matches at the Hopman Cup, representing Serbia with Ana Ivanovic. He won a record third consecutive Australian Open title. He helped Serbia take a lead over Belgium in the Davis Cup. He won the Dubai Tennis Championships. He won the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He reached the semifinals at the French Open. He lost the Wimbledon final to Murray. He was a finalist at the US Open. He won the China Open, the Shanghai Masters, and the Paris Masters. He ended the year by winning the ATP World Tour Finals.

2014: 2014 Season

In 2014, Djokovic won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. At the Australian Open, he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. He won the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Masters. He won the Italian Open and donated his prize to victims of the 2014 Southeast Europe floods. At the French Open, he lost to Nadal in the final. Djokovic won his second Wimbledon title by defeating Federer. He suffered early exits at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals but lost to Kei Nishikori. He won a fifth China Open title, and after a loss to Federer in Shanghai, claimed the Paris Masters. At the ATP Finals, he secured the year-end No. 1 ranking.

2014: Wawrinka defeats Djokovic at Australian Open, ending his major semifinal streak

In 2014, Wawrinka defeated Djokovic 9-7 in the fifth set at the Australian Open quarterfinals, breaking Djokovic's run of 14 consecutive major semifinals and ending a 28-match winning streak. Wawrinka went on to win his first major title at the tournament.

2015: 2015 Season Achievements

In 2015, Djokovic began the season at the Qatar Open in Doha and lost in the quarterfinals to Ivo Karlović. He won the Australian Open, earning a record fifth title. He was runner-up at the Dubai Championships. He won his 21st Masters title at Indian Wells and a fifth title at Miami. He won the Monte-Carlo Masters for the second time and captured the Rome Masters. At the French Open, he lost the final to Stan Wawrinka. He won his third Wimbledon title. He won the China Open for a sixth time, defeating Nadal. He completed the feat in later years.

2015: Wawrinka defeats Djokovic in French Open final, Djokovic beats Wawrinka at Cincinnati and Paris Masters

In 2015, Wawrinka defeated Djokovic in four sets to claim his second major title at the French Open final. Later that year, Djokovic beat Wawrinka at the Cincinnati Masters and Paris Masters.

2016: Del Potro upsets Djokovic at Rio Olympics

In 2016, Del Potro upset Djokovic in the first round at the Rio Olympics.

2016: Murray defeats Djokovic in World Tour Finals to secure year-end No. 1 ranking

In 2016, Murray defeated Djokovic in the final of the World Tour Finals to secure the year-end No. 1 ranking.

2016: Wawrinka beats Djokovic in US Open final

In 2016, Wawrinka defeated Djokovic in a major final for the second time at the US Open.

2017: Djokovic fails to make Wimbledon final

In 2017, Djokovic failed to make the Wimbledon final for the first time since 2017.

2017: Elbow Injury

In 2017, Djokovic suffered an elbow injury that negatively impacted his performance until the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.

2018: 2018 Australian Open and Elbow Surgery

In 2018, Novak Djokovic reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before losing to Chung Hyeon and then underwent elbow surgery later in January.

2018: Elbow Surgery and Reflections on Natural Healing

In 2018, following his elbow surgery, Novak Djokovic expressed feeling guilty and shared his belief in the body's self-healing mechanisms, stating that he is not a fan of surgeries or medications and prefers a natural approach.

April 2020: Opposition to Forced COVID-19 Vaccination

In April 2020, during the ATP Tour's shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Novak Djokovic indicated his opposition to forced vaccination in a Facebook live stream, stating he wouldn't want to be forced to take a COVID vaccine to return to the Tour.

December 2021: Positive COVID-19 Test in December 2021

In December 2021, Novak Djokovic had a positive COVID-19 test, which he cited as a reason for receiving a medical exemption to compete in the Australian Open.

2021: Increased Scrutiny on Vaccination Views Leading to 2022 Australian Open

In late 2021, Djokovic's views on vaccination came under increased scrutiny as Australian government officials indicated that tennis players would need to be vaccinated to enter the 2022 Australian Open. Djokovic had previously refused to publicly state his vaccination status.

January 2022: Confirms Unvaccinated Status to Australian Border Force

In January 2022, Novak Djokovic confirmed to the Australian Border Force that he was unvaccinated, during an interview preceding the 2022 Australian Open, which heightened scrutiny of his views on vaccination.

February 2022: Affirmation of Vaccine Choice Despite Career Risks

In February 2022, Novak Djokovic stated in an interview with the BBC that he believes in personal freedom of choice and supports an individual's right to choose whether or not they receive a vaccine, reaffirming his refusal to be vaccinated even if it costs him his career records.

2022: Missed Tournaments Due to Vaccine Opposition

In 2022, Djokovic had to miss several tournaments, including the Australian Open and the US Open, because of his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine, leading to his deportation from Australia.

2022: 2022 Australian Open Visa Controversy

In 2022, Novak Djokovic faced a visa controversy surrounding his participation in the Australian Open due to vaccination requirements and an eventual deportation.

2022: Impact of Vaccine Stance on Tournament Participation and Ranking

In 2022, Novak Djokovic's stance against the COVID-19 vaccine led to his inability to play in major tournaments like the Australian Open and US Open, impacting his ranking and placement among all-time great tennis players. He also lost the No. 1 ranking in 2022.

2023: 2023 Wimbledon Championships

In 2023, Novak Djokovic lost in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Wimbledon Championships.

2023: "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" statement at French Open

In 2023, following his first-round victory at the French Open, Novak Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a camera lens, responding to recent clashes in Kosovo, which led to criticism and calls for disciplinary action.

2025: Djokovic surpasses Nadal's Masters 1000 record, loses Miami Open final

At the 2025 Miami Open, Djokovic surpassed Nadal's record for most career main draw wins at Masters 1000 level, reaching 411 wins. However, he lost in the final to Jakub Menšík.