Novak Djokovic is an absolute maestro on the tennis court. His triumph at the French Open gives Djokovic a career grand slam, cementing his place in the sport’s pantheon. The 29-year-old Serb has had a stranglehold on the #1 ranking for the past two years, and has held it for the majority of the past five. He has so far amassed 12 Grand Slam singles championships.
Djokovic began playing tennis at the age of four, and was pushed hard from an early age by his father to achieve greatness. At age 6 Novak was discovered by the famed coach Jelena Genčić, who likewise taught Monica Seles, and became one of the best junior players in Europe. With a record amount of prize money earned plus tens of millions yearly in endorsements the Djoker can laugh all the way to the bank. But how much is he really worth?
Novak Djokovic’s Net Worth as of 2019: $140 million
Novak speaks five languages (Serbian, English, German, Italian, and French) and he definitely knows how to say “cash money” in all of them. His booming net worth is estimated at a crisp $140 million. The humorous Djokovic became at Roland Garros the first ever player to surpass $100 million in career prize money, and has shown no signs of slowing down. His $48 million in earnings in 2015 made him the 13th highest-paid athlete, and second highest-paid tennis player after Roger Federer. Of that, $31 million came from endorsements including making upwards of $7 million for his role as apparel company Uniqlo’s global ambassador. Let’s take a look at Djokovic through the years.
2003-2007
Djokovic turned professional in 2003 at the age of 17. He played mostly low-level tournaments at first, and made his tour-level debut in 2004. In 2005, he entered his first grand slam tournament when he qualified for the Australian Open. 2006 marked the year of his first two ATP tournament victories. In 2007 he vaulted himself into the top 10 in the world rankings, reaching the final of the US Open. While few would have pegged Djokovic to be among the best ever when he turned pro, by 2007 it became evident that he would be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
In 2005, Djokovic and his family founded an investments LLC in Serbia called Family Sport. The company invests in restaurants, sports/entertainment, tennis facilities, real estate and apparel distribution. It also manages the charitable Novak Djokovic Foundation.
2008-2010
In 2008, Djokovic broke through to become the first Serbian player to win a Grand Slam singles tournament when he won the first of his record six Australian Opens. In 2009, he continued his ascent and joined fellow up-start Andy Murray and established stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to begin the Big 4 Era, in which the foursome have had a hegemony over men’s tennis. In 2010 Djokovic led Serbia to the nation’s sole Davis Cup title.
2011-2017
In 2011, Djokovic won three more Grand Slam tournaments to rise to number one in the world. He added Australian Open trophies to his trophy case in 2012 and 2013 then won his second Wimbledon in 2014. In 2015, he continued to roll, adding three more Grand Slam titles. But until 2016, the French Open evaded Djokovic as he lost in the 2012, 2014 and 2015 finals. With his triumph in the 2016 French Open, and with winning records against all his top contemporaries, Djokovic is firmly in the conversation for best ever.
Djokovic’s incredible success and amiable personality have led to endorsement deals with an assortment of companies, most based in Europe. His sponsors include Mercedes-Benz, Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet, German nutritional supplement brand FitLine, and numerous Serbian companies. With $140 million in his ever-growing bank account, Djokovic is as untouchable off the court as he is on it.
2018
Novak Djokovic will aim to spearhead the ranking charts once more in the 2018 season after coming back from an injury suffered last year.
2019
Novak Djokovic topped the first men’s Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings of 2019.
