Novak Djokovic factbox

MAKING HIS NAME

* Born: Belgrade, Serbia, May 22, 1987

* He began playing tennis aged four.

* His father was a professional skier and wanted his son also to be a skier or professional football player but changed his mind when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.

* First full year on tour in 2005, makes Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Marat Safin in the first round. Finished as the youngest player (18 years, five months) inside the top 100.

* In 2006, he wins his first ATP tour title at Amersfoort, follows that with second title indoors at Metz.

* Breakthrough year in 2007, winning five titles (Adelaide, Miami, Estoril, Montreal and Vienna) and making at least semi-finals in three of the four Grand Slams (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open)

* Coached by Slovak former ATP professional Marian Vajda since 2006.

* He has won a total of 19 ATP titles and fifteen of them have been on hard courts.

* He is renowned for his impersonations of other players and celebrities.

* Has been known to get under players' skins, with incessant ball-bouncing before serving during matches.

GRAND SLAM AGONY AND ECSTASY

* He retired in the quarter-finals of the 2006 French Open against Rafael Nadal when trailing by two sets and again a year later due to blisters in the Wimbledon semi-final against the same opponent.

* In 2007 he advanced to his first Grand Slam final at the US Open at Flushing Meadows, losing to Roger Federer 7-6 7-6 6-4.

* Broke the Federer-Nadal Grand Slam duopoly by beating Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to win his maiden major title at Melbourne Park in 2008.

* Failed to defend his title in Melbourne the following year after controversially pulling out of his quarter-final against Andy Roddick citing heat exhaustion on a sweltering day.

* Lost in the quarter-final at Melbourne Park to Tsonga last year when he suffered a stomach bug.

* Upset Federer in the semi-finals of the 2010 US Open before losing in four sets to Nadal in the final.

* He begins 2011 by roaring through the draw at Melbourne Park including a straight sets thrashing of Federer in the semi-final before taking down Murray to end his tortured three-year wait for a second Grand Slam.