Novak Djokovic cut a happy figure in Basel after he won his first game back after almost 6 weeks out.
Djokovic faced Xavier Malisse in the first round of the Swiss Open, which is played indoors, and came through the match without any major problems.
“I’m only just back from the biggest injury of my career,” Djokovic told the press afterwards. “It was a big ask for me to have played really well.
“I could do nothing for four-and-a-half weeks, I’ve only been hitting for a week-and-a-half. That’s not enough to play at my best. I’ve lost rhythm.
“I had too many errors and too many double-faults. But I’m happy just to be playing tennis again. I hope to build on this performance.”
Novak is considered as one of the best male tennis player which Siberia (former Yugoslavia) has ever produced. Novak had won the award ‘The best sportsperson of Serbia’; twice in his career and had also been awarded the ‘Best Sportsperson’ by Olympic Committee of Serbia. Apart from this; he had also received the honor of being awarded with the Order of St. Sava, which is one of the highest adornments in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Novak was born on 22nd May 1987 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia to Srdan (his father) and Dijana (his mother). He had two younger brothers namely Marko and Djordie. They too were professional tennis players. Novak started off his tennis playing career at the tender age of four. It was at the age of six, when Novak was noted by the then Yugoslav tennis legend, Jelena Gencic. Jelena met Novak at Mount Kopaonik where his Novak’s father had a fast food shop. Seeing the dedication and talent young Novak had Jelena was highly impressed. She worked with him for the next six long years, till Jelena realized that it was high time that this young tennis prodigy should be introduced to the international tennis arena where he could face higher and tougher competition for a having a better future ahead. Thus for this, she approached Nikola Pilic in the year 1999 after lots of discussions, Novak was moved to the tennis academy of Pilic in Germany. He spent almost three months under the guidance of Pilic. At the age of fourteen, he started off with his international career with a win in the European Championship singles, doubles and in the team competition.
Since then he stayed in Monte Carlo, Monaco where he was coached by Marian Vaida (former tennis player). Novak is known for his hilarious off the court mimicries of his co-players most of whom were his good friends. This was known publicly when he entertained the spectators with a mimicry show on Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova, after his win (quarter final) in the 2007 US Open. He also presented a mimicry show impersonating John McEnroe after his game of 2009 US Open.
His hilarious and buoyant nature got him the nick name ‘Djoker’. This was actually given after a lot of thought. The word ‘D’ came from his surname ‘Djokovic’ and the word ‘joker’ came from his nature of entertaining the crowd, thus the name Djoker.
Novak is also the member of ‘Champions for Peace’, which is actually a club of well-known influential athletes with the mission to bring peace over the world through the medium of sport. He was also a linguistic as he can speak almost four languages namely native Serbian, English, Italian and German.
He was presented with the honor of Order of St. Sava I, due to the love and passion that he had demonstrated for the church. He also helped the needy Serbian people and the Serbian churches. A goof human being at heart, Novak is one personality who can never be forgotten by the tennis fans world over.
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November 2, 2011 10:54 am | 
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