Novak Djokovic entered the tennis world in 2003 and had no idea what was to be in store for him over the next 20 years.
He worked exceptionally hard to improve his game to become one of the game’s top players and win some big titles.
For several years he stood in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the two dominant forces in the second half of the 2000s into the early 2010s.
But the Serbian rose from being the hunted and went on to become arguably the greatest player in men’s tennis history.
What was Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam prediction 15 years ago?
From a young age Novak Djokovic possessed a burning desire to win Grand Slams and he won his first at 2008 Australian Open when he was just 21.
After defeating Jo Wilfried Tsonga to win the title, it took another three years before Djokovic’s dominance started.
But in an Eurosport interview after his first Grand Slam win he was confident over time that he would have “a lot of big tournament wins”, and that is exactly what happened.
Photo by Will Murray/Getty Images
“As my career progresses I hope there will be many more tournament victories for me. I’m only 21 and so I have plenty of time on my side,” he said.
“When I play or when I win a big tournament, I represent myself first and foremost, but I also represent my country. I would like to give something back to them and I hope I reign them some happiness by what I achieve on the tennis court.”
What is Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record?
In his career Djokovic has won 377 Grand Slam matches and lost 51, giving him a win percentage of 88%.
The former World number has 24 majors to his name, more than any other male player and he is level with the WTA’s Margaret Court.
Djokovic has won the Australian Open a record 10 times, with his most recent victory coming in 2023 to draw level with Rafael Nadal on 22 majors before overtaking his haul by winning the French Open that year.
Speaking of the clay court major, Djokovic has won there three times while conquering Wimbledon on seven occasions.
At the US Open Djokovic has lifted the title four times, with only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors winning it more often than him.
Related Posts