2008 Novak Djokovic tennis season
Djokovic celebrating his first Australian Open triumph in Belgrade | |
| Full name | Novak Djokovic |
|---|---|
| Country | Serbia |
| Calendar prize money | $5,689,078 (singles & doubles) |
| Singles | |
| Season record | 64–17 |
| Calendar titles | 4 |
| Year-end ranking | No. 3 |
| Ranking change from previous year | |
| Grand Slam & significant results | |
| Australian Open | W |
| French Open | SF |
| Wimbledon | 2R |
| US Open | SF |
| Olympic Games | |
| Doubles | |
| Season record | 2–5 |
| Calendar titles | 0 |
| Current ranking | No. 579 |
| Ranking change from previous year | 436 |
| Davis Cup | |
| Davis Cup | 1R |
2009 → | |
The 2008 Novak Djokovic tennis season officially commenced on January 14 with the start of the 2008 Australian Open.
Yearly summary
Early hard court season
Djokovic started his preparations for the season by playing the Hopman Cup with fellow Serbian world No. 3 Jelena Janković where he won all of his four singles matches, including in the final against the United States, where he beat Mardy Fish in a deciding set tiebreak to level the tie, but then losing the decisive mixed doubles rubber,[1] in which he faced former WTA No. 1 Serena Williams in a competitive event for the first time.[2]
Australian Open
At the Australian Open, Djokovic reached his second consecutive Grand Slam final, this time without dropping a set, including a victory over two-time defending champion Federer in the semifinals.[3] By reaching the semifinals, Djokovic became the youngest player in the Open Era to have reached the semifinals in all four Grand Slam events.[4] In the final, Djokovic defeated unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to earn his first Grand Slam singles title.[5] This marked the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a Grand Slam singles title was not won by Federer or Nadal.[5]
Djokovic became the first Serbian player to win a Grand Slam men's singles title.[6]
Indian Wells Open
At the Indian Wells Open, Djokovic won his ninth career singles title, defeating Mardy Fish in the final.[7]
Clay court season
Italian Open
Djokovic won his tenth career singles title and fourth Master Series singles crown at the Italian Open in Rome after defeating Wawrinka in the final.[8]
French Open
At the French Open, Djokovic was the third-seeded player behind Federer and Nadal. He lost to Nadal in the semifinals in straight sets.[9]
Grass court season
Wimbledon
On grass, Djokovic once again played Nadal, this time in the Artois Championships final in Queen's Club, where he lost in two sets. Djokovic entered Wimbledon seeded third but lost in the second round to Marat Safin, ending a streak of five consecutive majors where he had reached at least the semifinals.[10]
Fall hard court season
Cincinnati Open
Djokovic then failed to defend his 2007 singles title at the Canadian Open in Toronto, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Andy Murray. The following week at the Cincinnati Open, Djokovic advanced to the final, beating Nadal in the semifinals, which not only ended the Spaniard's 32-match winning streak, but also delayed Nadal's first ascension to world No. 1 by a week.[11] In the final, he again lost to Murray in straight sets.
Olympic Games
In August, Djokovic represented Serbia in the tennis tournament of the 2008 Summer Olympics, his first Olympics. He and Nenad Zimonjić, seeded second in men's doubles, were eliminated in the first round by the Czech pairing of Martin Damm and Pavel Vízner. Seeded third in singles, Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Nadal. Djokovic then defeated James Blake, the loser of the other semifinal, in the bronze medal match.[12]
US Open
After the Olympics, Djokovic entered the US Open seeded third, where he defeated Roddick in the quarterfinals. To a smattering of boos in a post-match interview, Djokovic criticized Roddick for accusing him of making excessive use of the trainer during matches and for suggesting that he was faking his injuries.[13] His run at the US Open ended in the semifinals when he lost to Federer in four sets, in a rematch of the previous year's final. In November, Djokovic was the second seed at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, beating Juan Martín del Potro and Nikolay Davydenko in the round-robin stage, and Gilles Simon in the semifinals. In the final, Djokovic defeated Davydenko to win his first title at the year-end championship.[14]
All matches
This table lists all the matches of Djokovic this year, including walkovers (W/O)
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
Singles matches
| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponent (seed or key) | Rank | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 14 – 27 January 2008 | ||||||
| 1 / 173 | 1R | Benjamin Becker | 81 | Win | 6–0, 6–2, 7–6(7–5) | |
| 2 / 174 | 2R | Simone Bolelli | 70 | Win | 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 3 / 175 | 3R | Sam Querrey | 62 | Win | 6–3, 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 4 / 176 | 4R | Lleyton Hewitt (19) | 22 | Win | 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 5 / 177 | QF | David Ferrer (5) | 5 | Win | 6–0, 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 6 / 178 | SF | Roger Federer (1) | 1 | Win | 7–5, 6–3, 7–6(7–5) | |
| 7 / 179 | W | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 38 | Win (1) | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(7–2) | |
| Davis Cup World Group 1st Round: Russia vs Serbia Moscow, Russia Davis Cup Hard, indoor 8 – 10 February 2008 | ||||||
| 8 / 180 | RR | Nikolay Davydenko | 4 | Loss | 6–4, 6–3, 4–6 Ret. | |
| Marseille Open Marseille, France ATP Tour 250 Hard, indoor 11 – 17 February 2008 | ||||||
| 9 / 181 | 1R | Ivan Dodig (Q) | 296 | Win | 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 10 / 182 | 2R | Gilles Simon | 30 | Loss | 2–6, 7–6(8–6), 3–6 | |
| Dubai Tennis Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates ATP Tour 500 Hard, outdoor 3 – 9 March 2008 | ||||||
| 11 / 183 | 1R | Marin Čilić | 45 | Win | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 12 / 184 | 2R | Fabrice Santoro | 47 | Win | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) | |
| 13 / 185 | QF | Igor Andreev | 34 | Win | 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 14 / 186 | SF | Andy Roddick (6) | 6 | Loss | 6–7(5–7), 3–6 | |
| Indian Wells Masters Indian Wells, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 10 – 23 March 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 15 / 187 | 2R | Andreas Seppi | 40 | Win | 6–3, 7–6(7–3) | |
| 16 / 188 | 3R | Philipp Kohlschreiber (27) | 27 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 17 / 189 | 4R | Guillermo Cañas (16) | 16 | Win | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 18 / 190 | QF | Stan Wawrinka | 35 | Win | 7–6(7–5), 6–2 | |
| 19 / 191 | SF | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Win | 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 20 / 192 | W | Mardy Fish | 98 | Win (2) | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 | |
| Miami Open Miami, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 24 March – 6 April 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 21 / 193 | 2R | Kevin Anderson (Q) | 122 | Loss | 6–7(1–7), 6–3, 4–6 | |
| Masters Series Monte-Carlo Monte Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 21 – 27 April 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 22 / 194 | 2R | Ivan Ljubičić | 29 | Win | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 23 / 195 | 3R | Andy Murray (14) | 20 | Win | 6–0, 6–4 | |
| 24 / 196 | QF | Sam Querrey | 50 | Win | 6–4, 6–0 | |
| 25 / 197 | SF | Roger Federer (1) | 1 | Loss | 3–6, 2–3 Ret. | |
| Italian Open Rome, Italy ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 5 – 11 May 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 26 / 198 | 2R | Steve Darcis | 49 | Win | 6–4, 6–0 | |
| 27 / 199 | 3R | Igor Andreev | 26 | Win | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 | |
| 28 / 200 | QF | Nicolas Almagro | 21 | Win | 6–1, 1–0 Ret. | |
| 29 / 201 | SF | Radek Štěpánek | 27 | Win | 6–0, 1–0 Ret. | |
| 30 / 202 | W | Stan Wawrinka | 24 | Win (3) | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 | |
| Hamburg Open Hamburg, Germany ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 12 – 18 May 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 31 / 203 | 2R | Juan Ignacio Chela | 39 | Win | 6–3, 6–1 | |
| 32 / 204 | 3R | Ivo Karlović | 24 | Win | 7–6(7–3), 6–3 | |
| 33 / 205 | QF | Albert Montañés | 78 | Win | 6–2, 6–3 | |
| 34 / 206 | SF | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Loss | 5–7, 6–2, 2–6 | |
| French Open Paris, France Grand Slam tournament Clay, outdoor 26 May – 8 June 2008 | ||||||
| 35 / 207 | 1R | Denis Gremelmayr | 64 | Win | 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 | |
| 36 / 208 | 2R | Miguel Ángel López Jaén (Q) | 264 | Win | 6–1, 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 37 / 209 | 3R | Wayne Odesnik (WC) | 106 | Win | 7–5, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 38 / 210 | 4R | Paul-Henri Mathieu (18) | 19 | Win | 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 39 / 211 | QF | Ernests Gulbis | 80 | Win | 7–5, 7–6(7–3), 7–5 | |
| 40 / 212 | SF | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Loss | 4–6, 2–6, 6–7(3–7) | |
| Queens Club Championships London, England ATP Tour 250 Grass, outdoor 9 June – 15 June 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 41 / 213 | 2R | Roko Karanušić | 112 | Win | 6–2, 7–6(9–7) | |
| 42 / 214 | 3R | Janko Tipsarević (13) | 39 | Win | 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 43 / 215 | QF | Lleyton Hewitt (11) | 30 | Win | 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 44 / 216 | SF | David Nalbandian (4) | 8 | Win | 6–1, 6–0 | |
| 45 / 217 | F | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Loss | 6–7(6–8), 5–7 | |
| Wimbledon Championships London, United Kingdom Grand Slam tournament Grass, outdoor 23 June – 6 July 2008 | ||||||
| 46 / 218 | 1R | Michael Berrer | 91 | Win | 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 6–0 | |
| 47 / 219 | 2R | Marat Safin | 75 | Loss | 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 2–6 | |
| Canadian Open Toronto, Canada ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 21 – 27 July 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 48 / 220 | 2R | Frank Dancevic (WC) | 82 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 49 / 221 | 3R | Robin Söderling | 49 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 50 / 222 | QF | Andy Murray (8) | 9 | Loss | 3–6, 6–7(3–7) | |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati, United States ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, outdoor 28 July – 3 August 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 51 / 223 | 2R | Simone Bolelli | 50 | Win | 7–6(7–2), 7–6(7–2) | |
| 52 / 224 | 3R | Andreas Seppi | 39 | Win | 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 53 / 225 | QF | Ernests Gulbis | 53 | Win | 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 54 / 226 | SF | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Win | 6–1, 7–5 | |
| 55 / 227 | F | Andy Murray (8) | 9 | Loss | 6–7(4–7), 6–7(5–7) | |
| 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing, China Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 11 – 17 August 2008 | ||||||
| 56 / 228 | 1R | Robby Ginepri | 59 | Win | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 57 / 229 | 2R | Rainer Schüttler | 35 | Win | 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 58 / 230 | 3R | Mikhail Youzhny (13) | 22 | Win | 7–6(7–3), 6–3 | |
| 59 / 231 | QF | Gaël Monfils | 43 | Win | 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 60 / 232 | SF | Rafael Nadal (2) | 2 | Loss | 4–6, 6–1, 4–6 | |
| 61 / 233 | SF-B | James Blake (8) | 7 | Win | 6–3, 7–6(7–4) | |
| US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam tournament Hard, outdoor 25 August – 7 September 2008 | ||||||
| 62 / 234 | 1R | Arnaud Clément | 78 | Win | 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 63 / 235 | 2R | Robert Kendrick (Q) | 113 | Win | 7–6(10–8), 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 64 / 236 | 3R | Marin Čilić (30) | 24 | Win | 6–7(7–9), 7–5, 6–4, 7–6(7–0) | |
| 65 / 237 | 4R | Tommy Robredo (15) | 15 | Win | 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 | |
| 66 / 238 | QF | Andy Roddick (8) | 8 | Win | 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(7–5) | |
| 67 / 239 | SF | Roger Federer (2) | 2 | Loss | 3–6, 7–5, 5–7, 2–6 | |
| Davis Cup World Group Playoff: Slovakia vs Serbia Bratislava, Slovakia Davis Cup Hard, indoor 19 – 21 September 2008 | ||||||
| 68 / 240 | RR | Dominik Hrbatý | 399 | Win | 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 | |
| Thailand Open Bangkok, Thailand ATP Tour 250 Hard, indoor 22 – 28 September 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 69 / 241 | 2R | Simon Stadler (Q) | 141 | Win | 6–1, 6–3 | |
| 70 / 242 | QF | Robin Söderling (6) | 34 | Win | 6–4, 7–5 | |
| 71 / 243 | SF | Tomáš Berdych (3) | 27 | Win | 7–5, 6–1 | |
| 72 / 244 | F | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2) | 20 | Loss | 6–7(4–7), 4–6 | |
| Madrid Open Madrid, Spain ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, indoor 13 – 19 October 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 73 / 245 | 2R | Victor Hănescu (Q) | 73 | Win | 6–7(8–10), 7–6(8–6), 3–1 Ret. | |
| 74 / 246 | 3R | Ivo Karlović (14) | 21 | Loss (2) | 6–7(4–7), 6–7(5–7) | |
| Paris Masters Paris, France ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, indoor 27 October – 2 November 2008 | ||||||
| – | 1R | Bye | ||||
| 75 / 247 | 2R | Dmitry Tursunov | 26 | Win | 6–2, 4–3 Ret. | |
| 76 / 248 | 3R | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13) | 14 | Loss | 4–6, 6–1, 3–6 | |
| Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, China ATP Finals Hard, indoor 10 – 16 November 2008 | ||||||
| 77 / 249 | RR | Juan Martin del Potro (7) | 8 | Win | 7–5, 6–3 | |
| 78 / 250 | RR | Nikolay Davydenko (4) | 5 | Win | 7–6(7–3), 0–6, 7–5 | |
| 79 / 251 | RR | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6) | 7 | Loss | 6–1, 5–7, 1–6 | |
| 80 / 252 | SF | Gilles Simon (8) | 9 | Win | 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 81 / 253 | W | Nikolay Davydenko (4) | 5 | Win (4) | 6–1, 7–5 | |
Doubles matches
| Tournament | Match | Round | Opponents (seed or key) | Ranks | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Cup World Group 1st Round: Serbia vs Russia Moscow, Russia Davis Cup Hard, indoor 4 – 10 February 2008 Partner: Nenad Zimonjić | ||||||
| 1 / 37 | RR | Dmitry Tursunov / Mikhail Youzhny | 61 / 165 | Win | 6–3, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–5) | |
| Masters Series Monte-Carlo Monte Carlo, Monaco ATP Tour Masters 1000 Clay, outdoor 13 – 19 April 2009 Partner: Radek Štěpánek | ||||||
| 2 / 38 | 1R | Jordan Kerr / Rogier Wassen | 26 / 28 | Win | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 3 / 39 | 2R | Simon Aspelin / Julian Knowle (5) | 9 / 9 | Loss | 2–6, 6–7(3–7) | |
| Queens Club Championships London, England ATP Tour 250 Grass, outdoor 9 June – 15 June 2008 Partner: Janko Tipsarević | ||||||
| 4 / 40 | 1R | Rik de Voest / Chris Haggard (ALT) | 50 / 69 | Loss | 4–6, 6–7(4–7) | |
| 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing, China Olympic Games Hard, outdoor 11 – 17 August 2008 Partner: Nenad Zimonjić | ||||||
| 5 / 41 | 1R | Martin Damm / Pavel Vízner | 27 / 14 | Loss | 6–3, 0–6, 2–6 | |
| Thailand Open Bangkok, Thailand ATP Tour 250 Hard, indoor 22 – 28 September 2008 Partner: Marko Djoković | ||||||
| 6 / 42 | 1R | Fabrice Santoro / Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 87 / 80 | Loss | 2–6, 2–6 | |
| Paris Masters Paris, France ATP Tour Masters 1000 Hard, indoor 27 October – 2 November 2008 Partner: Viktor Troicki | ||||||
| 7 / 43 | 3R | José Acasuso / David Ferrer | 93 / 421 | Loss | 4–6, 4–6 | |
Yearly records
Finals
Singles: 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-up)
|
|
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 8–3 | Jan 2008 | Australian Open, Australia | Grand Slam | Hard | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(7–2) |
| Win | 9–3 | Mar 2008 | Indian Wells Masters, United States | Masters | Hard | Mardy Fish | 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 |
| Win | 10–3 | May 2008 | Italian Open, Italy | Masters | Clay | Stan Wawrinka | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 10–4 | Jun 2008 | Queen's Club Championships, UK | 250 series | Grass | Rafael Nadal | 6–7(6–8), 5–7 |
| Loss | 10–5 | Aug 2008 | Cincinnati Masters, United States | Masters | Hard | Andy Murray | 6–7(4–7), 6–7(5–7) |
| Loss | 10–6 | Sep 2008 | Thailand Open, Thailand | 250 series | Hard (i) | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 6–7(4–7), 4–6 |
| Win | 11–6 | Nov 2008 | ATP Finals, China | Tour Finals | Hard (i) | Nikolay Davydenko | 6–1, 7–5 |
See also
References
- ^ "U.S. edge out Serbia to win Hopman Cup". www.reuters.com. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Watch When Serena Williams Slammed Aces Against Novak Djokovic". www.essentiallysports.com. 4 May 2020. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Djokovic crushes Federer to seal final spot". The Guardian. London, UK. 25 January 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ "Novak Djokovic". The Times of India. 14 May 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ a b Hodgkinson, Mark (27 January 2008). "Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
- ^ "Australian Open 2008". BBC Sport. 27 January 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Djokovic sinks Fish to seal Indian Wells title". Reuters. 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Djokovic defeats Wawrinka in Rome". BBC Sport. 11 May 2008. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
- ^ "French Open: Ruthless Nadal crushes Djokovic to reach final". The Guardian. London. 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Djokovic sent home by Safin in Wimbledon's second round". ESPN. 25 June 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "Djokovic ends Nadal's winning streak". The Independent. 3 August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "Djokovic wins Men's Singles bronze medal". The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. 24 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Angry Djokovic exacts revenge on Roddick". CNN. 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ Newbery, Piers (16 November 2008). "Superb Djokovic wins Masters Cup". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.