Novak Djokovic: a serious man wins Wimbledon

The 24-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in four sets on Sunday to win his first Wimbledon crown and his third Grand Slam title. He overcame the reigning champion 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 and his joy at the achievement was evident as he received the trophy on centre court.  

"This is my favourite tournament," Djokovic told the BBC's Sue Barker, "the one I always dreamed of winning, the one I watched when I was a child. It feels like I am still dreaming."

It was the fifth time this season that Djokovic has defeated the Spaniard and the feat underlined his standing as the world's No 1. A long run of victories, including the Australian Open in January, was only interrupted in May when he lost to Roger Federer in the semi-final of the French Open.

Djokovic has been at his best at the All-England club, dropping only four sets during the entire tournament. "I think I played probably my best match on the grass courts ever," he said after beating Nadal.

His triumph was witnessed by Serbian president Boris Tadic in the royal box, while in the friends and family enclosure were his parents, his teenaged brothers and his long-time girlfriend, Jelena Ristic.

Djokovic's victory is good news for all those who like their sporting gods to know there's more to life than merely what happens on court.

An opera buff, a lover of classical music, a keen cook and a voracious reader, the Serb is a far cry than the stereotypical image of professional sportsmen (remember Tim Henman declaring that he never read books because they were "boring"?) Djokovic always travels with two or three books in his bag. When the Sunday Times interviewed him a while ago he was engrossed in a biography of Nikola Tesla, the inventor of polyphase electric power.

Djokovic attributes his rounded character to his upbringing. Not for him the gilded youth of most Western tennis stars, but instead a life of terror as Nato bombed his home town of Belgrade in 1999 during the conflict with Yugoslavia over Kosovo.

Djokovic was 12 at the time and later recalled: "I would wake at night during the bombings and look at my mother's reaction and of course she would be afraid, so I would pray that nothing happened to us."

Many of Djokovic's family were born in Kosovo and like most Serbs considered the region the cradle of Serbian history. Its loss was a deep blow to national prestige.

Yet despite his fierce pride in his nationality, Djokovic has always strived to show the world that there is another side to Serbia than that of warmonger. "Our country had a bad reputation in the world because of the people who led the country in certain periods. It wasn't my fault," he said in 2008, adding: "I think I'm doing well to present my country in a nice way."

Becoming the first Serb to win the Wimbledon men's single title is a pretty nice way to promote the place. ·