Early Life and Education of Novak Djokovic: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Novak Djokovic. A timeline of key moments.

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

Sections (6)

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

May 1987: Born in Belgrade

In May 1987, Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, to Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan Djokovic.

May 1987: Novak Djokovic Born

In May 1987, Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia.

May 1992: Baptism at Žiča Monastery

In May 1992, Novak Djokovic was baptized at the Žiča Monastery, alongside his mother and younger brother Marko.

1993: Meets Jelena Genčić

In the summer of 1993, as a six-year-old, Novak Djokovic met Jelena Genčić at a tennis camp she was overseeing at Mount Kopaonik. She worked with Djokovic over the following six years.

September 1999: Moves to Pilić tennis academy

In September 1999, Novak Djokovic moved to the Nikola Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, spending four years there.

2005: Venturing into the Business World

In 2005, as Djokovic moved up the tennis rankings, he began venturing into the business world through Family Sport, focusing on hospitality with Novak Café & Restaurant.

December 2007: Recognition in NAJJ Srbije (The Best of Serbia)

In early December 2007, a sports-entertainment show named NAJJ Srbije (The Best of Serbia), put together in honor of Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković, and Janko Tipsarević's successes in the 2007 season, drew a capacity crowd to Belgrade's Kombank Arena, highlighting the national surge in tennis popularity.

2007: Comedic impressions of fellow tennis players

Throughout the latter part of the 2007 season, Novak Djokovic's comedic impressions of fellow contemporary tennis players, including Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal, gained significant media attention, starting with a BBC recording at Queen's Club Championships and continuing at the US Open.

May 2008: Special guest at Eurovision Song Contest

In May 2008, Novak Djokovic was a special guest during the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Belgrade. He announced the start of the voting by throwing a tennis ball into the crowd and sang "Beograde" with Željko Joksimović.

2008: Launch of Novak Café & Restaurant

In 2008, Novak Café & Restaurant was launched in Belgrade, marking the beginning of a franchised chain of theme café-restaurants.

May 2009: Guest appearance on the Fiorello Show

Throughout late April and early May 2009, during ATP Master Series tournaments in Rome and Madrid, respectively, Novak Djokovic was a guest on the Fiorello Show on Sky Uno hosted by Italian comedian Rosario Fiorello.

2009: Expansion of Novak Café & Restaurant Locations

During 2009, two more Novak Café & Restaurant locations were added—one in Kragujevac and another in Belgrade, overlooking the playing courts of Serbia Open.

2009: Chooses to Represent Serbia

In 2009, Novak Djokovic confirmed that there were discussions about representing Great Britain but chose to represent Serbia.

2010: Appearance in "Hello" music video and "The Joker" song dedication

In 2010, Novak Djokovic appeared in the music video for the song "Hello" by Martin Solveig and Dragonette and also the Serbian blues-rock band Zona B recorded the song "The Joker", dedicating it to Djokovic.

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2010: Connection with nutritionist Igor Četojević and gluten intolerance discovery

Since 2010, Novak Djokovic has been connected with nutritionist Igor Četojević, who focuses on Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and allegedly discovered Djokovic's gluten intolerance, leading to a vegan diet and improved health.

April 2011: Awarded the Order of St. Sava I class

On 28 April 2011, Patriarch Irinej of Serbia awarded Novak Djokovic the Order of St. Sava I class, the highest decoration of the Serbian Orthodox Church, for his contributions to monasteries and charitable work.

June 2011: Awarded the Order of St. Sava I class and Belgrade homecoming

In June 2011, Novak Djokovic was awarded the Order of St. Sava I class by the Serbian Orthodox Church and celebrated his Wimbledon title and No. 1 ranking at a homecoming in Belgrade attended by nearly 100,000 people.

November 2011: Visit to Jelena Genčić and filming for The Expendables 2

In November 2011, Novak Djokovic visited his childhood tennis coach Jelena Genčić, bringing the Wimbledon trophy, and filmed a cameo for The Expendables 2 in Sofia, Bulgaria, though his scene was later cut.

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December 2011: Opening of Novak Café & Restaurant in Novi Sad

On 16 December 2011, a Novak Café & Restaurant location was opened in Novi Sad.

March 2012: Profiled on 60 Minutes

In March 2012, Novak Djokovic was profiled on the CBS show 60 Minutes by Bob Simon.

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2013: Publication of autobiography Serve to Win

In Novak Djokovic's 2013 autobiography, Serve to Win, he wrote of a "researcher" who directed "anger, fear, hostility" at a glass of water, which turned "slightly green" after a few days, while also directing "love, joy" at another glass of water, which remained "bright and crystal clear" in the same period.

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October 2014: Birth of First Child

In October 2014, Novak Djokovic and Jelena Ristić had their first child, a boy.

2014: Becker joins team

At the end of 2013, Novak Djokovic announced that Boris Becker would join his team as head coach for 2014.

March 2015: Closure of Novak Café & Restaurant in Novi Sad

In late March 2015, the Novak Café & Restaurant location in Novi Sad closed after operating for just over three years.

May 2015: Launch of Djokolife nutritional food products

In May 2015, Novak Djokovic launched Djokolife, a line of nutritional food products, after winning his fourth Rome Masters title.

October 2015: Opening of Novak Café & Restaurant in Banja Luka

On 16 October 2015, a Novak Café & Restaurant location opened in Banja Luka, Bosnia, within Hotel Trešnja.

April 2016: Opening of Eqvita vegan restaurant

In April 2016, Novak Djokovic opened Eqvita, a vegan restaurant, in Monte Carlo while he was in town for the Monte-Carlo Masters.

2017: Birth of Daughter

In 2017, Novak Djokovic and Jelena Ristić had their daughter.

2018: Djokovic supports Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Novak Djokovic publicly supported Croatia at the FIFA World Cup. Despite facing criticism from some in Serbia, he emphasized sports' ability to transcend boundaries and unite people across differences.

2018: Australian Open and Elbow Surgery

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

2018: Elbow surgery and feelings of guilt

In 2018, following his elbow surgery, Novak Djokovic stated that he "cried for three days" after it, feeling guilty, because he was "not a fan of surgeries or medications" and wanted "to be as natural as possible".

March 2019: Closure of Eqvita restaurant

In March 2019, Novak Djokovic's vegan restaurant, Eqvita, located in Monte Carlo, reportedly closed.

2019: Andre Agassi interview in 2019

In 2019, Andre Agassi gave an interview with the Times of India.

April 2020: Opposition to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Novak Djokovic indicated in a Facebook live stream that he opposes mandatory vaccination and would not be forced to take a COVID vaccine to return to the Tour, clarifying that he is against forced vaccination and cautious about what he puts into his body.

August 2020: Resignation from ATP Players Council and formation of PTPA

In August 2020, Novak Djokovic resigned from the Players Council of the Association of Tennis Professionals and formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) with Vasek Pospisil, serving as co-presidents to promote tennis players' interests.

2020: Beliefs about prayer and water molecules

In 2020, Novak Djokovic spoke of his belief that "some people" used "prayer" and "gratitude" to "turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water", claiming scientists have proven water molecules react to emotions, a scientifically dubious belief.

April 2021: Freshwater snail species named after Djokovic

In April 2021, a team of Balkan biospeleologists named a recently discovered freshwater snail species, Travunijana djokovici, after Novak Djokovic.

November 2021: Djokovic Granted Visa

In November 2021, specifically on November 18, Novak Djokovic was granted a visa to enter Australia.

December 2021: Positive COVID-19 Test

In December 2021, Novak Djokovic received a positive COVID-19 test on December 16, which he cited as the reason for his medical exemption to compete in the Australian Open.

2021: Increased scrutiny over vaccination views

In late 2021, leading up to the 2022 Australian Open, Djokovic's views on vaccination came under increased scrutiny due to potential vaccination requirements for tennis players to enter the tournament.

January 2022: Confirmation of unvaccinated status to Australian Border Force

In January 2022, Novak Djokovic confirmed to the Australian Border Force that he was unvaccinated during an interview, leading to further controversy surrounding his participation in the Australian Open.

February 2022: Interview with BBC

In February 2022, Novak Djokovic stated in an interview with the BBC that he does not associate with the wider anti-vax movement but believes in personal freedom of choice and would forgo entry into tournaments in countries mandating the vaccine.

2022: Federer: Twelve Final Days documentary and Tiebreak game

In 2022, Djokovic appears in the documentary Federer: Twelve Final Days and appeared on the front cover of the 2024 video game Tiebreak: Official game of the ATP and WTA.

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2022: Impact of vaccination stance on career

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, losing his No. 1 ranking, and facing potential damage to his placement among the all-time great tennis players, though others applauded his decision.

2022: Publication of "Facing Novak Djokovic"

In 2022, a book titled "Facing Novak Djokovic", a compilation of interviews with ATP players who described in detail what it was like to compete against Djokovic, was published.

2022: Beetle species named after Djokovic

In 2022, a new species of beetle in the genus Duvalius discovered near Ljubovija, Serbia, was named Duvalius djokovici after Novak Djokovic, as announced by Nikola Vesović, a research associate at the University of Belgrade.

2023: Djokovic writes "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" at the 2023 French Open

Following his first-round victory at the 2023 French Open, Novak Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a camera lens in response to clashes in Kosovo. The statement drew criticism, and Djokovic defended it by emphasizing his support for the Serbian people and the significance of Kosovo to Serbia.

July 2024: Cover of Vogue Adria

In July 2024, Djokovic became the first man and the first athlete on the cover of Vogue Adria.

2024: Djokovic supports Serbian anti-corruption protests in 2024

During the 2024-2025 Serbian anti-corruption protests, Novak Djokovic openly supported protesting students and their demands. This led to backlash from Serbian ruling politicians, with some criticizing Djokovic's stance.

April 2025: Serbian President snubs Djokovic

In April 2025, while reading a letter from a child who admires Novak Djokovic, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić avoided mentioning Djokovic's name, instead saying "Nikola Jokić".

August 2025: Co-ownership of Le Mans FC

In August 2025, Djokovic became a co-owner of the French Ligue 2 club Le Mans FC through the Brazilian consortium OutField, alongside Formula One drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen, and Georgios Frangulis, CEO of OakBerry.

January 2026: Stepping away from the PTPA

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

March 2026: Djokovic attends World Cup play-off final

In March 2026, Novak Djokovic was a special guest of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup play-off final between the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and Italy, receiving a standing ovation. His presence at the match significantly impacted regional media coverage and public discourse, considering the historically complex relations between the countries.