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 boasts a record 24 major men's singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles, and a total of 99 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. Furthermore, he is 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

May 1987: Novak Djokovic's Birth

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

1993: Tennis Camp at Kopaonik

In the summer of 1993, at age six, Djokovic was sent to a tennis camp organized by Teniski Klub Partizan at Mount Kopaonik, where Jelena Genčić oversaw his early training.

September 1999: Move to Pilić Tennis Academy

In September 1999, Djokovic moved to the Niki Pilić tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, Germany, to further his tennis training.

2003: Djokovic turns professional and begins wearing Adidas

In 2003, Novak Djokovic turned professional and started his career wearing Adidas clothing.

2005: Began Dating Jelena Ristić

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

April 2006: Davis Cup Win and British Tennis Talks

In April 2006, Djokovic secured a Davis Cup win against Great Britain and considered a potential move to play for Great Britain.

May 2006: British Tennis Talks Confirmation

In May 2006, talks between the Djokovic family and the LTA were confirmed to be serious regarding his potential move to play for Great Britain.

2008: Launch of Novak Café & Restaurant

In 2008, the first Novak Café & Restaurant location opened in Novi Beograd, Belgrade, as the flagship location in a franchised chain.

October 2009: Djokovic Confirms British Tennis Talks

In October 2009, Djokovic confirmed the serious talks between his family and the LTA in April and May 2006 regarding changing his international loyalty to Great Britain.

2009: Djokovic signs with Sergio Tacchini

At the end of 2009, Novak Djokovic signed a 10-year deal with Sergio Tacchini for clothing after Adidas didn't extend his contract, but he continued wearing Adidas shoes.

2009: Novak Café & Restaurant expands with two more locations

In 2009, two more Novak Café & Restaurant locations were added in Kragujevac and Belgrade.

March 2010: Davis Cup and Coaching Change

Between March 6 and 8, 2010, Djokovic participated in Serbia's Davis Cup tie against the United States, contributing to his country reaching the quarterfinal. Following early exits at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, Djokovic ended his coaching relationship with Todd Martin.

2010: Connection with Nutritionist Igor Četojević and Gluten Intolerance Discovery

In 2010, Novak Djokovic began working with nutritionist Igor Četojević, who used applied kinesiology to discover Djokovic's gluten intolerance. Subsequently, Djokovic removed gluten from his diet. Četojević also incorporated Chinese medicine and acupuncture into Djokovic's health regimen.

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

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

December 2011: Novak Cafe & Restaurant opens in Novi Sad

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

May 2012: Djokovic appointed as Uniqlo's global brand ambassador

On May 23, 2012, Uniqlo appointed Novak Djokovic as its global brand ambassador, beginning on May 27, 2012, at the French Open.

September 2013: Engagement to Jelena Ristić

In September 2013, Djokovic became engaged to Jelena Ristić.

2013: Publication of Autobiography 'Serve to Win'

In his 2013 autobiography, Serve to Win, Djokovic described an experiment involving the effects of emotions on water, detailing how water exposed to negative emotions changed color, while water exposed to positive emotions remained clear.

Serve To Win: The 14-day Gluten-free Plan For Physical And Mental Excellence

Check it on Amazon

July 2014: Marriage to Jelena Ristić

On July 10, 2014, Djokovic married Jelena Ristić on Montenegro's Sveti Stefan island.

October 2014: Birth of First Child

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

March 2015: Novak Cafe & Restaurant closes 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: Djokovic launches Djokolife nutritional food line

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

October 2015: Novak Cafe & Restaurant opens in Banja Luka

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

April 2016: Djokovic opens vegan restaurant Eqvita

On April 10, 2016, Novak Djokovic opened a vegan restaurant called Eqvita in Monte Carlo.

2017: Birth of Daughter

In 2017, Djokovic and Ristić had their daughter.

2018: Public Support for Croatia at FIFA World Cup

In 2018, Djokovic publicly supported Croatia at the FIFA World Cup. When criticized, he emphasized sports' ability to transcend boundaries and differences. He also expressed admiration for Croatian football player Luka Modrić.

2018: Elbow Surgery and Reflections on Healing

In 2018, following elbow surgery, Djokovic expressed his emotional distress and discomfort with surgical interventions, stating he "cried for three days". He emphasized his preference for natural healing processes and his belief in the body's self-healing capabilities.

March 2019: Eqvita restaurant closes

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

April 2020: Opposition to Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

In April 2020, during an online discussion, Djokovic voiced his opposition to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for tennis players. He clarified that he wasn't against all vaccines but was against being forced to take one, citing his careful approach to what he puts in his body.

August 2020: Djokovic forms the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA)

In August 2020, Novak Djokovic resigned from the ATP Players Council and formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) with Vasek Pospisil.

2020: Beliefs on Prayer, Gratitude, and Water Molecules

In 2020, Djokovic shared his belief that prayer and gratitude could purify contaminated food and water. He stated that scientists have proven water molecules react to emotions and speech, claims that have been widely disputed.

April 2021: Freshwater snail species named after Djokovic

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

November 2021: Visa to enter Australia

On 18 November 2021 Djokovic had been granted a visa to enter Australia.

December 2021: Positive COVID-19 Test

In December 2021, it was revealed that Novak Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 on 16 December 2021, which was used as the basis for his medical exemption to play at the Australian Open.

February 2022: Reaffirmation of Vaccination Stance in BBC Interview

In February 2022, Djokovic reaffirmed his stance on vaccination in an interview with the BBC. He stated that he supports personal freedom of choice regarding vaccination, even if it means forgoing participation in tournaments and potentially impacting his career.

November 2022: Visa Ban Overturned

As of November 2022, Novak Djokovic's visa ban from Australia had been overturned by the Immigration Minister.

2022: New 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: Australian Open Participation Requirements

In 2022, the Victorian Government required all players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in the Australian Open, where Novak Djokovic was a three-time defending champion.

2023: Controversial Statement on Kosovo at French Open

Following his first-round victory at the 2023 French Open, Djokovic wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" on a camera lens, prompting criticism and calls for disciplinary action. He defended his statement, citing his personal connection to Kosovo.