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 is a Serbian professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. He holds the record for most weeks ranked world No. 1 (428) and most year-end No. 1 finishes (8). Djokovic boasts a record 24 major men's singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles, totaling 100 singles titles. He's the only man to simultaneously hold all four major titles across three surfaces and the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam. Additionally, he's the only player to complete a Career Golden Masters twice and the only singles player to have won all Big Titles.

Sections (6)

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

2005: End of Consecutive Grand Slam Appearances

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

2007: Djokovic's Early Exit at the Australian Open

In January 2017, At the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic lost in the second round, marking his first early exit since 2007.

2008: 2008 Season Highlights

In 2008, Novak Djokovic reached the semifinals in Dubai, and won titles at Indian Wells and the Italian Open, marking his third and fourth Masters titles respectively. He was defeated by Nadal in the semifinals of both Hamburg and the French Open. On grass, he lost to Nadal in the Queen’s Club final and suffered a second-round loss at Wimbledon. He reached the quarterfinals at the Rogers Cup and was a finalist in Cincinnati. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal in singles.

2009: Technical difficulties and switch to Head racket series

In 2009, Djokovic experienced technical difficulties coinciding with his switch to the Head racket series. Despite these challenges, his serve became a major weapon again.

2009: 2009 Season Highlights

In 2009, Novak Djokovic began the year at the Brisbane International, where he was upset in the first round. At the Australian Open, he retired in the quarterfinals. He won the Dubai Championships. He reached finals at both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open. He claimed his second title of the year at the Serbia Open. He reached the final of the Gerry Weber Open on grass, and then fell to Haas again in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. During the 2009 US Open Series, he reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, then made the final in Cincinnati. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals.

2009: Earliest Slam Exit Since 2009 French Open

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

2010: 2010 Season Highlights

In 2010, Novak Djokovic began the season at the exhibition AAMI Classic. At the Australian Open, he fell to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. He won the Dubai Championships, defending an ATP title for the first time. In March, he led Serbia to a 3–2 win over the United States in the 2010 Davis Cup. At the French Open, he lost to Jürgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. He captured his first ATP doubles title at the Aegon Championships with Jonathan Erlich. At Wimbledon, he lost in the semifinals to Tomáš Berdych. At the Canadian Open, Djokovic reached the semifinals. He also teamed with Nadal in doubles.

2011: Tacchini contract was terminated

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

2012: 2012 Season Highlights

In 2012, Novak Djokovic began the season by winning the Australian Open, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. He retained his Miami title. Djokovic fell to Nadal in the finals of both Monte Carlo and the Italian Open. At the French Open, he reached his first final at the tournament. At Wimbledon, he was beaten by Federer in the semifinals. Djokovic was Serbia's flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, finishing fourth. He defended his Rogers Cup title, but lost the Cincinnati Masters final to Federer.

2013: 2013 Season Highlights

In 2013, Novak Djokovic began his season at the Hopman Cup. At the Australian Open, he defeated Andy Murray in the final to win a record third consecutive Australian Open title in the Open Era. Djokovic helped Serbia take a 2–0 lead over Belgium in the 2013 Davis Cup World Group first round. He then won the 2013 Dubai Tennis Championships. At Indian Wells, Djokovic's 22-match winning streak was ended. At the Miami Masters, he was upset in the fourth round. He won the 2013 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He advanced to the semifinals at the 2013 French Open. At Wimbledon, Djokovic lost the final to Murray. Djokovic was a finalist at the US Open. He won the China Open and the Shanghai Masters. He claimed the Paris Masters. Djokovic ended the year by winning the 2013 ATP World Tour Finals.

2014: 2014 Season Highlights

In 2014, Novak Djokovic began the year by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. At the Australian Open, he reached 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, Djokovic lost to Nadal in the final. Djokovic won his second Wimbledon title and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking. At the US Open, he reached the semifinals. He won a fifth China Open title and claimed the Paris Masters. At the ATP Finals, he set a record by dropping just nine games in the round-robin stage. Djokovic secured the year-end No. 1 ranking for the third time.

2015: 2015 Season Highlights

In 2015, Novak Djokovic started at the Qatar Open, losing in the quarterfinals. He won the Australian Open, earning a record fifth title. He finished runner-up at the Dubai Championships. Djokovic won his 21st Masters title at Indian Wells, and his fifth title at Miami, becoming the first player to win the Indian Wells–Miami double three times. In April, Djokovic won the Monte-Carlo Masters for the second time. He captured the Rome Masters. At the French Open, Djokovic lost the final to Stan Wawrinka. He won his third Wimbledon title. At the US Open, Djokovic won his third Grand Slam of the year. He ended the season by winning the China Open for a sixth time.

2016: First Round Loss at the Summer Olympics

In 2016, Novak Djokovic lost in the first round of an ATP Tournament for the first time since the Summer Olympics.

2017: Djokovic Suffers Elbow Injury

In 2017, Novak Djokovic suffered from an elbow injury, impacting his performance until the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.

2018: Elbow surgery and return to practice

In 2018, Novak Djokovic won the Kooyong Classic exhibition against Dominic Thiem. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing to Chung Hyeon and in late January, he underwent elbow surgery. He returned to practice in early March and played at Indian Wells and Miami Open with early losses. He reunited with coach Marián Vajda at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

2020: Victory at ATP Cup and Australian Open, COVID-19 Controversy

In 2020, Novak Djokovic led Serbia to victory at the inaugural ATP Cup, including wins over Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal. He won his eighth Australian Open title and regained the world No. 1 ranking. In June, he tested positive for COVID-19 during the Adria Tour he organized, leading to criticism over safety protocols.

2020: French Open and Wimbledon Wins, Olympic Disappointment

In 2020, Novak Djokovic won the French Open, defeating Nadal in the semifinal and Tsitsipas in the final. He won Wimbledon, earning his 100th grass-court win and tying Federer and Nadal with 20 major titles. At the Summer Olympics, he lost in the semifinals and bronze match and withdrew from the mixed doubles bronze match.

December 2021: Djokovic tests positive for COVID-19

In December 2021, Novak Djokovic received an exemption from Tennis Australia and the Department of Health (Victoria), citing a positive COVID-19 test on December 16th.

2022: Djokovic Misses Tournaments Due to Vaccination Status

In 2022, Novak Djokovic was forced to miss several tournaments, including the Australian Open and the US Open, due to his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine. He was deported from Australia.

2022: Australian Open Visa Controversy and Deportation

In 2022, Novak Djokovic was involved in a controversy regarding his participation in the Australian Open. Despite receiving a medical exemption and a visa, he was detained by the Australian Border Force due to failing to meet entry requirements for unvaccinated travelers. His visa was cancelled, and after a legal battle, he was deported.

2022: Consequences of Vaccination Stance

In 2022, Novak Djokovic's stance against the COVID-19 vaccine led to him being unable to play the 2022 Australian Open and the 2022 US Open. He also lost the No. 1 ranking.

2023: Djokovic loses Wimbledon final to Alcaraz

In 2023, Novak Djokovic lost the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz.

2024: Djokovic's Performance in 2024: Challenges and Triumphs

In 2024, Novak Djokovic faced challenges at the Australian Open, losing in the semifinals to Jannik Sinner. He experienced early exits at Indian Wells and Rome but reached the semifinals at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He won his 1,100th career win at the Geneva Open. He withdrew from the French Open due to a knee injury. At the Summer Olympics, he defeated Carlos Alcaraz to win the gold medal, completing a Career Golden Slam and Career Super Slam.

2025: Djokovic's Performance at the Australian Open 2025

In 2025, Novak Djokovic opened the season at the Brisbane International and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, marking his 430th major main draw singles match. He retired in his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle tear.