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 as world No. 1 (428) and year-end No. 1 finishes (8). He has secured 101 ATP Tour singles titles, including a record 24 Grand Slam titles, 40 Masters titles, and 7 year-end championships. Djokovic is the only man to simultaneously hold all four major titles on three different surfaces. He's the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam and the only player to complete a Career Golden Masters twice. He is also the only singles player to have won all of the Big Titles over the course of his career.

Sections (6)

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

1958: Reference to Migration Act

In 2022, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs cancelled Djokovic's visa again under the Migration Act 1958, citing concerns for public health and order.

2004: End of the Big Four's Dominance

In February 2022, Djokovic lost his world No. 1 ranking to Daniil Medvedev, marking the first time since 2004 that a player outside the Big Four held the top spot.

2005: Injury forces Djokovic to miss US Open

On 26 July 2017, Djokovic announced he would miss the US Open and the rest of the season to recover from his elbow injury. This ended his streak of 51 consecutive Grand Slam appearances since his debut in 2005.

October 2006: Ranking out of Top 20

In October 2006, Djokovic's ranking fell out of the top 20 for the first time since then.

2006: Lowest Ranking Since 2006

In 2006, Novak Djokovic ended the year ranked No. 12, which was his lowest ranking since 2006.

2008: Djokovic's Loss at the Australian Open in 2008

In January 2017 at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic lost in the second round to Denis Istomin, marking his first early exit since 2008 and his first loss at a major to a player outside the top 100.

2009: Djokovic's 2009 French Open

Djokovic's earliest Slam exit since the 2009 French Open occurred at Wimbledon in 2016 when his 30-match Grand Slam winning streak ended.

2009: Switch to Head racket series

In 2009, Djokovic experienced technical difficulties coinciding with his switch to the Head racket series. However, his serve became one of his major weapons again.

2010: Djokovic's 2010 Season

In 2010, Djokovic began the season at the Kooyong Classic, followed by a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. He won the Dubai Championships and led Serbia to victory in the Davis Cup. He also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and the semifinals of Wimbledon. Djokovic teamed up with Nadal in doubles at the Canadian Open and reached the final of the US Open, ultimately losing to Nadal.

2010: Tsonga defeats Djokovic at Australian Open

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

2011: Termination of Sergio Tacchini sponsorship

In 2011, Djokovic's success caused Sergio Tacchini to fall behind on bonus payments, leading to the termination of the sponsorship contract.

2011: Del Potro defeats Djokovic at Davis Cup

In 2011, Juan Martín del Potro defeated Djokovic at the Davis Cup.

2012: Djokovic at the 2012 Summer Olympics

In 2012, Djokovic served as Serbia's flag bearer at the London Summer Olympics. He reached the semifinals but finished fourth after losing to Murray and del Potro. Djokovic also defended his Rogers Cup title and reached the US Open final, losing to Murray.

2012: Del Potro defeats Djokovic at Summer Olympics

In 2012, Juan Martín del Potro defeated Djokovic in their Bronze medal match at the Summer Olympics in straight sets.

2013: Del Potro defeats Djokovic at Indian Wells Masters, Djokovic wins at Wimbledon and Shanghai

In 2013, Juan Martín del Potro defeated Djokovic at the Indian Wells Masters. Djokovic defeated del Potro in an epic five-setter at the Wimbledon Championships semifinals and a thrilling three-setter at the Shanghai Masters final.

2014: Wawrinka defeats Djokovic at Australian Open

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

2015: Wawrinka defeats Djokovic at French Open

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, Juan Martín del Potro upset Djokovic in the first round at the Rio Olympics en route to the final.

2016: Wawrinka beats Djokovic at US Open

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

2016: First Round Loss at Summer Olympics

In 2025, at Doha, Djokovic lost to Matteo Berrettini in the first round. This marked the first time Djokovic lost in any first round since the 2016 Summer Olympics.

2017: Failing to defend points in Italian Open

In 2017, Djokovic failed to defend his finalist points from the Italian Open, causing his ranking to fall.

2017: Djokovic fails to make Wimbledon final

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

2017: Elbow Injury

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

2018: Australian Open and Elbow Surgery

In 2018, Djokovic won the Kooyong Classic exhibition against Dominic Thiem. At the Australian Open, he reached the fourth round before losing to Chung Hyeon and later in January 2018, he underwent elbow surgery.

2018: Elbow Surgery and Emotional Reaction

In 2018, following his elbow surgery, Novak Djokovic expressed feeling guilty and emotional, stating his preference for natural healing methods over surgeries and medications.

April 2020: Opposition to Forced COVID-19 Vaccination

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Novak Djokovic expressed his opposition to forced vaccination and clarified his remarks, stating that he is not against all vaccines but against forced vaccination, emphasizing his careful approach to what he puts into his body.

2020: ATP Cup Victory, Australian Open Win, and COVID-19 Diagnosis

In 2020, Djokovic led Serbia to victory at the ATP Cup and won his eighth Australian Open title. In June 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 during the Adria Tour, leading to criticism and his subsequent apology.

December 2021: Positive COVID-19 Test

In December 16, 2021, Djokovic had a positive COVID-19 test, which he cited as the reason for receiving a medical exemption for the Australian Open.

2021: Djokovic and Medvedev at Australian and US Open Finals

In 2021, Djokovic won against Medvedev at the Australian Open Final, and Medvedev won his first major title at the US Open against Djokovic in the final, ending Djokovic's quest for a calendar-year Grand Slam.

2021: Increased Scrutiny Over Vaccination Stance

In late 2021, Novak Djokovic's views on vaccination faced increased scrutiny leading up to the 2022 Australian Open, with government officials indicating that tennis players would need to be vaccinated to enter the tournament.

January 2022: Confirmation of Unvaccinated Status to Australian Border Force

In January 2022, while being interviewed by the Australian Border Force, Novak Djokovic confirmed that he was unvaccinated.

February 2022: Reaffirmation of Vaccine Stance in BBC Interview

In February 2022, Novak Djokovic stated in an interview with the BBC that he believes in personal freedom of choice regarding vaccination and would be willing to forgo tournament entry to uphold his principles.

2022: Alcaraz defeats Djokovic at Madrid Masters

In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic at the Madrid Masters semifinals in a deciding set tiebreaker.

2022: Australian Open Visa Controversy and Deportation

In 2022, Djokovic's participation in the Australian Open was marked by controversy over his vaccination status, visa cancellation, and eventual deportation.

2022: Tournament Skips Due to Vaccine Opposition

In 2022, Novak Djokovic skipped many tournaments, including the Australian Open and the US Open, due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine; he was deported from Australia.

2022: Impact of Vaccination Stance on Tournament Participation and Ranking

In 2022, Novak Djokovic's stance against the COVID-19 vaccine led to his inability to participate in major tournaments like the Australian Open and US Open, as well as losing his No. 1 ranking.

2023: Djokovic defeats Alcaraz at French Open, Alcaraz wins at Wimbledon

In 2023, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in four sets at the French Open semifinals. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in an epic five-setter at the Wimbledon final, ending his hopes for the calendar Grand Slam and his decade-long Centre Court win streak. The pair followed with another epic at the Cincinnati Masters final, with Djokovic prevailing in three tightly contested sets.

2023: Sinner records first win against Djokovic at ATP Finals

In 2023, Jannik Sinner recorded his first win against Djokovic at the ATP Finals, which Djokovic won.

2023: Djokovic's Kosovo Statement at 2023 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, sparking controversy. His statement, made in response to clashes in Kosovo, was criticized by France's minister of sports, and the Kosovo Olympic Committee requested disciplinary action from the IOC. Djokovic defended his statement, emphasizing his support for the Serbian people and the significance of Kosovo to Serbia.

2023: 2023 Wimbledon loss

In 2024, at the Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic reached his 37th Grand Slam final, aiming to equal Federer's record of eight titles, but lost in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz in a repeat of the 2023 final.

2024: Loss at Australian Open, French Open Withdrawal, and Wimbledon Final Loss; Summer Olympics Win

In 2024, Djokovic lost in the Australian Open semifinals, withdrew from the French Open due to injury, and lost in the Wimbledon final. He also beat Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to win the gold medal in 2024 Summer Olympics, completing a Career Golden Slam and Career Super Slam.

2024: Sinner wins Australian Open and Shanghai Masters

In 2024, Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open semifinal against Djokovic in four sets, and the Shanghai Masters final in straight sets.

2024: Djokovic supports Serbian anti-corruption protests

In 2024, Novak Djokovic openly supported student protests against corruption in Serbia, leading to backlash from ruling politicians. He was accused of siding with violence and those wanting an independent Kosovo.

2024: Alcaraz defeats Djokovic at Wimbledon, Djokovic wins at Olympics

In the summer of 2024, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in straight sets in a rematch of the previous year's Wimbledon final on July 14. On August 4, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the Olympics final held at Roland Garros to complete the career Golden Slam.

April 2025: Serbian President avoids mentioning Djokovic's name

In April 2025, while reading a letter from a child who admired Novak Djokovic, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić intentionally avoided saying Djokovic's name, instead saying "Nikola Jokić". This occurred amidst the backlash Djokovic received for supporting anti-corruption protests.

2025: Brisbane International and Australian Open Performance

In 2025, Djokovic lost in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International and retired in the semifinals of the Australian Open due to a muscle tear.

2025: Djokovic wins at Australian Open, Alcaraz wins at US Open

In 2025, Djokovic won against Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in four sets, and Alcaraz won against Djokovic in the semifinals of the US Open in straight sets.

2025: Sinner defeats Djokovic at French Open and Wimbledon

In 2025, Jannik Sinner defeated Djokovic in the semifinals at both the French Open and Wimbledon, winning both times in straight sets.

2025: Miami Open and Masters 1000 Record

In 2025, at the Miami Open, Djokovic claimed his record 411th career main draw win at the Masters 1000 level, surpassing Nadal's previous record, but lost in the final to Jakub Menšík.

January 2026: Stepping Away from PTPA

In January 2026, Novak Djokovic announced that he was stepping away from the PTPA, citing differences over transparency, governance, and his role within the organization.

2026: Djokovic loses Australian Open final to Alcaraz

In 2026, Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals, advancing to his 11th final at Melbourne Park, becoming the oldest finalist there at age 38. However, he lost the final to Carlos Alcaraz, ending his quest for a record-extending 25th major title. Alcaraz became the youngest male player to achieve a career Grand Slam.