For those who began tracking his tennis career before he became a global superstar, one of the first memories that the name Novak Djokovic sparks is of a January evening 15 years ago.
January 27, 2008. A 20 year old Djokovic, seeded 3rd, wins his first Grand Slamtitle beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets in the Australian Open men’s singles final. The final was supposed to be a Federer vs Nadal affair, but the two big ‘favourites’ were humbled in the semi-finals.Djokovic beat top seed Federer in straight sets and Tsonga thrashed the 2nd seeded Rafa 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. For many sports journalists it was in many ways reminiscent of the 2007 ICC ODI World Cup, when Bangladesh and Ireland pipped India and Pakistan to the Super Eight stage.
January 27, 2008. A 20 year old Djokovic, seeded 3rd, wins his first Grand Slamtitle beating Jo Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets in the Australian Open men’s singles final. The final was supposed to be a Federer vs Nadal affair, but the two big ‘favourites’ were humbled in the semi-finals.Djokovic beat top seed Federer in straight sets and Tsonga thrashed the 2nd seeded Rafa 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. For many sports journalists it was in many ways reminiscent of the 2007 ICC ODI World Cup, when Bangladesh and Ireland pipped India and Pakistan to the Super Eight stage.
But to understand Djokovic’s meteoric rise in men’s tennis we will have to go back to the beginning. He turned professional in 2003, at the age of 15. This was the year Federer won the first of his 20 Grand Slam titles. The Swiss maestro and his long time…
