Novak Remains on Top
For the second year running the 25 year-old Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has ended 2012 as the Number One player in the world in the ATP men's single rankings.
Djokovic is a popular player on the world circuit and keeps his fellow players in stitches with his impersonations of them. Most are close friends and none of them take offence. He is also known for his sportsmanship, when he lost his doubles match at Wimbledon during the London 2012 Olympic Games he joined the Croatian team to sit and watch his opponents win their next match.
Djokovic was born in Belgrade in the former Republic of Yugoslavia on May 22nd 1987 and comes from a sporting family. His two younger brothers Marko and Dorde both play tennis and hanker after playing on the professional circuit.
Novak began playing at the age of 4 years-old in Mount Kopaonik where his parents ran a fast-food outlet and by the time he was 14 years-old he was playing Internationally and won European trophies in singles, doubles and team competitions.
He was the first Serbian player to reach the semi-finals in a Grand Slam event and he went on to win the Australian Open three times in 2008, 20011 and 2012. He had an outstanding year in 2011 when he won the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, making him only the sixth player since the open tennis era began to take three Grand Slam titles in the same year. The only one he has failed to win is the French Open which is on clay and he has earned a total of $41,055,25 since he turned professional.
He is very proud of his Serbian roots and loves to represent his country but his permanent home in in Monte Carlo, Monaco which he shares with his girlfriend of seven years Jelena Riotic who travels with him to a lot of his matches.
Djokovic is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church and on 28th April 2011 he was awarded the Order of St Sava which is the highest award the church can give for the help he has given to the Serbian people and the churches and monasteries in Kosova and Meoniya.
