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 as world No. 1 (428) and year-end No. 1 finishes (8). Djokovic boasts a record 24 major men's singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles. He has won 99 singles titles, including a record 72 Big Titles encompassing majors, Masters, year-end championships, and an Olympic gold medal. Djokovic is the only man to simultaneously hold all four major titles on three different 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 win all Big Titles in his career.

Sections (6)

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

1976: Doubles Pairing

In 2010, at the Canadian Open, Novak Djokovic teamed with Rafael Nadal in doubles, marking the first pairing of world No. 1 and No. 2 players since Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe in 1976.

May 1987: Born in Belgrade

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

May 1987: Novak Djokovic Born

In May 1987, Novak Djokovic was born in Yugoslavia. He is a Serbian professional tennis player who would become world No. 1.

1993: Sent to tennis camp

In the summer of 1993, as a six-year-old, Novak Djokovic was sent to a tennis camp organized by the Teniski Klub Partizan and overseen by Jelena Genčić.

September 1999: Moved to Pilić tennis academy

In September 1999, Djokovic moved to the Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, where he spent four years to improve his technique and flexibility.

2001: First Match against Andy Murray at Les Petits As

In 2001, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray played their first match as teenagers at Les Petits As, with Murray winning the match. This early encounter marked the beginning of their long-standing rivalry.

2005: Started dating Jelena Ristić

In 2005, Novak Djokovic began dating Jelena Ristić, whom he met in high school.

2005: Injury and Season End

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.

December 2007: Recognition at NAJJ Srbije

In early December 2007, Novak Djokovic's success in the 2007 season was celebrated at a sports-entertainment show named NAJJ Srbije (The Best of Serbia), which drew a large crowd to Belgrade's Kombank Arena, alongside Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković, and Janko Tipsarević.

2007: Australian Open Second Round Exit

In January 2017, At the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic lost in the second round to Denis Istomin, marking his first early exit since 2007 and first loss at a major to a player outside the top 100.

2007: Comedic Impersonations of Fellow Tennis Players

Throughout 2007, Novak Djokovic's comedic impressions of fellow tennis players, including Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, and others, gained media attention. This occurred before Wimbledon and during the US Open, with footage of his impersonations becoming popular online.

May 2008: Special Guest at Eurovision Song Contest

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

May 2009: Guest Appearance on Fiorello Show

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

2009: Confirmed choice to represent Serbia

In 2009, Djokovic confirmed that talks with the Lawn Tennis Association about representing Great Britain were serious but that he chose to represent Serbia.

2009: Wimbledon Exit

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

2010: Appearance in Music Video and Song Dedication

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

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2010: Association with Igor Četojević and Dietary Changes

Since 2010, Novak Djokovic has been connected with nutritionist Igor Četojević, who focuses on Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Četojević allegedly discovered Djokovic's gluten intolerance, leading to a gluten-free diet and eventually a vegan or mostly plant-based diet.

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

On April 28, 2011, Novak Djokovic was awarded the Order of St. Sava I class by Patriarch Irinej of Serbia for his contributions to monasteries and charitable work.

June 2011: Awarded the Order of Serbian National Defense in America I class

On June 25, 2011, Novak Djokovic was awarded the Order of Serbian National Defense in America I class by the Serbian National Defense Council at their seventieth congress in Chicago. Additionally, the day after winning his first Wimbledon title and becoming No. 1 for the first time in his career, Djokovic was welcomed home in Belgrade with a celebration attended by close to 100,000 people.

November 2011: Visit to Jelena Genčić and Cameo in The Expendables 2

In November 2011, Novak Djokovic visited his childhood tennis coach Jelena Genčić, bringing the Wimbledon trophy. He also participated in a cameo for the movie The Expendables 2, though his part was later cut.

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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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2012: Australian Open Win and Olympic Games

In 2012, Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. He lost to John Isner in the semifinals of Indian Wells but retained his Miami title. Djokovic fell to Nadal in the finals of Monte Carlo and the Italian Open. At the French Open, he lost to Nadal in the final. 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.

September 2013: Engaged to Jelena Ristić

In September 2013, Novak Djokovic became engaged to Jelena Ristić.

2013: Winning Streak and Coaching Change

In 2013, Novak Djokovic started at the Hopman Cup. At the Australian Open, he won a record third consecutive title. He helped Serbia in the Davis Cup, won the Dubai Tennis Championships, but his winning streak ended at Indian Wells. He was upset at the Miami Masters. He helped Serbia defeat the United States in Davis Cup. He won the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, and suffered early exits at the Madrid Open and Rome Masters. At the 2013 French Open, he advanced to the semifinals. At Wimbledon, he lost the final to Murray. Djokovic was a finalist at the US Open. He later won the China Open and the Shanghai Masters. He then claimed the Paris Masters and ended the year by winning the 2013 ATP World Tour Finals. He announced that Boris Becker would join his team as head coach for 2014.

2013: Views on Water Reacting to Emotions

In his 2013 autobiography, Serve to Win, Novak Djokovic wrote about a "researcher" who influenced water with emotions.

July 2014: Married Jelena Ristić

On July 10, 2014, Novak Djokovic and Jelena Ristić were married on Montenegro's Sveti Stefan island, in the Church of Saint Stephen.

October 2014: First child born

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

2014: Coaching Change

In 2013, Novak Djokovic announced that Boris Becker would join his team as head coach for 2014.

May 2015: Launch of Djokolife

In May 2015, Novak Djokovic launched Djokolife, a line of nutritional food products.

April 2016: Opening of Eqvita Vegan Restaurant

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

2017: Daughter born

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

2018: Reaction to Elbow Surgery

Following his elbow surgery in 2018, Novak Djokovic expressed feeling guilty and stated his preference for natural healing methods over surgeries or medications.

2018: Support for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Novak Djokovic showed public support for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup, defending his stance by emphasizing the universal language of sports.

2018: 2018 Season Events: Australian Open, Elbow Surgery, and Return

In 2018, Novak Djokovic won the Kooyong Classic exhibition against Dominic Thiem and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open before losing to Chung Hyeon. In late January 2018, he underwent elbow surgery. He returned to practice in early March and played at Indian Wells a week later, losing in the second round. He also experienced an early loss at the Miami Open. Later in the year, reuniting with coach Marián Vajda, he showed improvement at the Madrid Masters, beating Kei Nishikori, but lost in the second round to Kyle Edmund.

March 2019: Closure of Eqvita Restaurant

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

April 2020: Opposition to Forced Vaccination

In April 2020, during a Facebook live stream, Novak Djokovic indicated his opposition to forced vaccination and expressed that he would not want to be forced to take a COVID vaccine just to return to the tour.

August 2020: Formation of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)

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

2020: Beliefs on Prayer and Water

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."

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.

2021: Increased Scrutiny over Vaccination Views

In late 2021, Novak Djokovic's views on vaccination faced increased scrutiny in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open, as Australian government officials indicated tennis players would need to be vaccinated to enter the tournament.

January 2022: Djokovic Confirms Unvaccinated Status

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

February 2022: Djokovic's Interview with the BBC

In February 2022, Novak Djokovic stated in an interview with the BBC that he believes in personal freedom of choice regarding vaccination and would forgo tournaments in countries mandating the vaccine.

2022: Vajda Split

In 2017, Novak Djokovic won his only tournament win without Marián Vajda until their 2022 split.

2022: Federer: Twelve Final Days Documentary Appearance

In 2022, Novak Djokovic appeared in the documentary Federer: Twelve Final Days about Roger Federer's final tournament before his retirement, the 2022 Laver Cup.

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2022: 2022: Australian Open Visa Controversy and Deportation

In 2022, Novak Djokovic's season began with controversy surrounding the Australian Open. After receiving a medical exemption to compete without vaccination due to a positive COVID-19 test on 16 December 2021, his visa was initially granted but then cancelled upon arrival in Melbourne. Following a legal battle, his visa was cancelled again by the Minister for Immigration, and he was ultimately deported from Australia on 16 January 2022.

2022: Consequences of Vaccination Stance

In 2022, Novak Djokovic's stance against the COVID-19 vaccine led to consequences such as not being able to play the 2022 Australian Open and losing the No. 1 ranking. He was also unable to enter the United States to play the 2022 US Open due to vaccination policies.

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.

2022: Publication of "Facing Novak Djokovic"

In 2022, the book "Facing Novak Djokovic", which compiles interviews with ATP players describing what it's like to compete against him, was published.

2023: Statement on Kosovo at the French Open

Following his victory in the first round of the 2023 French Open, Novak Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on the lens of a camera.

July 2024: Vogue Adria Cover and Tiebreak Game Appearance

In July 2024, Novak Djokovic became the first man and first athlete on the cover of Vogue Adria and appeared on the cover of the 2024 video game Tiebreak: Official game of the ATP and WTA, alongside Coco Gauff.