MIAMI, United States. — On May 22, 1987, the tennis player Novak Djokovic was born in Belgrade (Serbia), considered one of the three best in history, along with the Swiss Roger Federer and the Spanish Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic started playing tennis when he was four years old. In 1993, he was signed by Yugoslav legend Jelena Genčić, who described the boy as the greatest talent she had seen since Monica Seles, the tennis extraordinaire who nearly lost her life after being stabbed in the middle of a match by a fan.
For six years Genčić trained Djokovic. Due to the boy’s rapid learning, she realized that the next step was to travel abroad in search of a higher level of proficiency. Thus, the boy moved to Germany at the age of twelve, and by fourteen he had already become a European champion, winning singles, doubles and team competitions.
Throughout his professional career, the Serbian has won all the laurels. Today he is the tennis player with the most titles in major hard court tournaments (46), including 13 Grand Slams, 27 Masters 1000 and six ATP Finals.
Off the court he maintains a stable and private family life, along with his wife and two children. He speaks five languages, studies piano, is a fan of AC Milan and maintains a strict vegetarian diet as part of his commitment to animal welfare and environmental protection.
Djokovic is also well known for his charitable works, especially for children. Although he only lived for twelve years in the former Yugoslavia, the conflict in the Balkans and its impact on the children would mark him forever.
He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. The foundation bearing his last name, created in 2007, dedicates his efforts to childhood and early education in his native Serbia. Likewise, he has enabled a total of 45 early childhood education centers in that country, helping more than 22,000 children and 1,500 teachers with his efforts.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Djokovic came under a lot of criticism due to his refusal to get vaccinated. Although the press has accused him of promoting the anti-vaccination movement, Djokovic has defended himself by claiming that he is not against them, but that he defends the freedom of each person to make decisions about his body.
Djokovic, who is already for many the best tennis player in history based on his numbers and the number of titles won, remains in the race to be the player with the most Grand Slams, a condition he shares with the Spanish Rafael Nadal, both with 22.
