Novak Djokovic wins first of 17 Grand Slam titles on January 28, 2008: WATCH

It seems a distant memory now when a 20-year old Novak Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open. Not just because it has been 13 years to the day since that happened, but more so because it took Djokovic three more years to firmly establish himself as a top contender in the game. With a proclivity for his much-hated 'medical-timeouts' and bearing a sense of humour and irreverence that did not go down well with the tennis community that was so besotted with its two longtime champions—Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer—Djokovic has gone from hated outsider to begrudgingly accepted insider. 

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Djokovic Grand Slams: The 2008 Australian Open final that started the legacy

The beginning of Djokovic's glorious rise in tennis can be traced back to many points in his life but the day he announced himself to his critics and fans was January 28, 2008. On this day, 13 years ago, Novak Djokovic defeated another young upstart, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6 (7–2) and began a legacy that is sure to go down as one of the most iconic in tennis history. Djokovic's win made history many times over—he became the first Serbian to win a Grand Slam title, ever. 

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Djokovic's semi-final defeat of Roger Federer brought an end to Federer's record of 10 straight Grand Slam finals and brought about the first Grand Slam final in three years that did not feature Federer or Nadal in the final (Nadal was defeated by Tsonga in the semi-final). After a tumultuous few years—where his only gain was in how unpopular he was becoming—Djokovic reached the final of the 2010 US Open. This opened up the floodgates to a period of domination that has earned Djokovic a place in the history books. 

Djokovic won 11 of his current 17 Slam titles from 2011 to 2016. In this time, he reached the quarterfinal of all but one Slam—the Wimbledon in 2016. While he is behind Federer and Nadal in the number of Grand Slams, Djokovic has better h2h records over both players as well as more Masters 1000 titles than the duo. He is also the only member of the 'Big Three' to have held all four Grand Slam titles at once, although in a non-calender year. Infamous for his weakness and failures under pressure, Djokovic has gone on to become a five-set specialist and has been a part of the longest finals on all three surfaces. 

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Australian Open schedule

With the Australian Open set to begin on February 8, Djokovic will be hoping, once again, to start his year off with a win at Melbourne Park. The world No.1 will be the defending champion this year and is vying for his 9th title at the tournament. He will also be hoping to add an 18th Slam title to his name and ensure his stay on the top as he eyes Federer's 310-week record.

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Image Credits: AP