Novak Djokovic reveals his career highlights in tennis, toughest opponent, and most important Grand Slam title
Updated 17/02/2025 at 22:14 GMT
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Novak Djokovic has revealed his top two career highlights - from a huge array of contenders in his two-decade spell at the top of men's tennis - as well as the toughest opponent he has ever faced. Speaking exclusively to Eurosport, the 24-time Grand Slam champion revealed that one of his major titles had an extra-special significance to him, and that one other accolade particularly stood out.
Gold medal winner Novak Djokovic celebrates with players during Celebration Of Serbia Olympic Team at City hall on August 12, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.
Image credit: Getty Images
Novak Djokovic has named his twin career highlights and picked the most significant moment of his long spell at the top of men's tennis.
The Serb has won 24 Grand Slam titles and has been dominant on the ATP Tour for two decades, since he emerged onto the scene as the young up-and-coming challenger to his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the mid-2000s.
But he has managed to narrow down his many highlight-reel moments to just two.
"The best moment is the next winning moment," he said in Doha ahead of the Qatar Open. "Hopefully it's coming here, this year.
"I'm saying this half-jokingly but also half-serious because, in tennis, you have to get used to turning the next page, and focusing on the next task and next challenge very quickly. We have tournaments happening more or less every week.
"It's been a very successful but very intense 20-year period for me [in my] professional career. I've been blessed to experience achieving the greatest things this sport has to offer.
"Of course, Grand Slams [are the biggest highlights]."
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The Serb revealed that the best moment of his career was "the first [time] that I won Wimbledon in 2011 because it was my dream tournament when I was young," ranking his first SW19 title above his maiden Grand Slam, the Australian Open in 2008.
"But I would say, gold medal for my country last year would be probably the highlight of my entire career," he added, referring to his long-awaited Olympic victory at the Paris Games.
Now 37, Djokovic was for many years part of the 'Big Three' with Federer and Nadal, although he is the last of the trio standing with both his major rivals having since retired.
It was of little surprise that the two were at the forefront of his mind when asked about the toughest opponents he has faced.
"You probably know the names Federer and Nadal," he quipped. "I would say Nadal would be the one that probably stands out [as] my biggest opponent and biggest rival."
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Watch as ecstatic Djokovic collapses to ground after beating Alcaraz for Olympic gold
Video credit: TNT Sports
The current world No. 7 also expanded on his origin story as a tennis player, learning in his native Serbia.
"I grew up on the mountains in my country, and that's where I actually started to play tennis when I was four or five years old," he said.
"It happened by accident, even though in life there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason. I saw a couple of tennis courts that were being made, and I was helping the workers to make the tennis court. I was, of course, very young and very curious.
"In return for me bringing them drinks and helping them construct the tennis court, I got free hours, when the courts were being made. That's that's how I fell in love with this beautiful sport."
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