The Sporting Statesman Novak Djokovic And The Rise Of Serbia

Novak Djokovic is not just one of the world's great tennis players - he is the defacto ambassador for his homeland, Serbia. Not an easy job, given the lingering resonance in the world's news bulletins of Serbia's role in the 1990s Yugoslav wars. To this day, the words 'Serbia' and 'atrocities' are linked in the minds of many.In this study of both Djokovic and Serbia, Chris Bowers paints two powerful portraits. He traces the story of the boy from modest surroundings, telling of how he met the woman who not only taught him tennis but how to deal with life as a high-profile icon, charts his battle with illness and his relationship with a volatile father, and how his on-court deeds have made his country proud. But he also tells the story of Serbia, pulling no punches about its role in the 1990s wars but offering a sensitive interpretation of the hopes and aspirations of a people with a troubled past.Bowers, biographer of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer and the British deputy-prime-minister Nick Clegg, weaves together these sporting and geo-political strands to present a sensitive portrait of a man and his people, and how determination married to sensitivity can create a sporting statesman.

This revised and updated biography intertwines the incredible playing career of one of the best and most popular tennis players of all time with a history of how he came to rescue the image of a young, war-torn country on the world stage. It describes Djokovic's modest upbringing, revealing how he met the woman who taught him both to play tennis and how to deal with life as a high-profile icon. It charts Djokovic's battle with illness, his relationship with a volatile father, and how his on-court deeds have made his country proud. It also tells the story of Serbia, offering a nuanced portrait of a people with a troubled past, and offers an unrivaled assessment of the player's recent drop in form--and the untold reasons behind it.

In this study of both Djokovic and Serbia, Chris Bowers paints two powerful portraits. He traces the story of the boy from modest surroundings, telling of how he met the woman who not only taught him tennis but how to deal with life as a high - profile icon, charts his battle with illness and his relationship with a volatile father, and how his on - court deeds have made his country proud. But he also tells the story of Serbia, pulling no punches about its role in the 1990s wars but offering a sensitive interpretation of the hopes and aspirations of a people with a troubled past. Bowers, biographer of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer and the British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, weaves together these sporting and geo - political strands to present a sensitive portrait of a man and his people, and how determination married to sensitivity can create a sporting statesman.

A biography of one of the greatest living tennis players, and his relationship with his homeland of Serbia Novak Djokovic is not just one of the world's great tennis players, he is the de facto ambassador for his homeland, Serbia. Not an easy job, given the lingering resonance of Serbia's role in the 1990s Yugoslav wars in the world's news bulletins. To this day, the words "Serbia" and "atrocities" are linked in the minds of many. This study of both Djokovic and Serbia paints two powerful portraits. It traces the story of the boy from modest surroundings, telling how he met the woman who not only taught him tennis but how to deal with life as a high-profile icon, charts his battle with illness and his relationship with a volatile father, and how his on-court accomplishments have made his country proud. But it also tells the story of Serbia, pulling no punches about its role in the 1990s wars but offering a sensitive interpretation of the hopes and aspirations of a people with a troubled past. This book weaves together these sporting and geo political strands to present a sensitive portrait of a man and his people, and how determination married with sensitivity can create a sporting statesman.

Novak Djokovic is not just one the world's greatest tennis players - he is a de facto ambassador for his country, Serbia.

This admired biography traces the rise of Roger Federer, from his first tentative strokes with a racket to legendary status, and perhaps even the title of greatest tennis player ever. It looks at his development as a sportsman and how he has matured into a family man after his marriage and the birth of twin girls, followed by twin boys in 2014. With his remarkable return to top-level form after his grim 2013, culminating in his sealing Switzerland's Davis Cup triumph in November 2014, and his narrow loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2015 Men's Singles at Wimbledon, a fuller picture of the player's career can be painted. Far from being an endless recitation of tennis matches won and, sometimes, lost, however, the book also examines how Federer bounced back from arguably one of the most challenging periods of his career when he suffered a serious illness and a dip in form. In characteristic style, he silenced his critics by winning the French Open title for the first time, reclaiming his Wimbledon crown, winning Olympic gold, and in 2015 recording his 1,000th career win – a feat achieved by only two other players – as well as beating both Djokovic and Murray, the world Nos 1 and 2, to win the Cincinnati Masters for the seventh time. This masterly biography brings the player's story up to date, while also considering Federer the man and the player, as well as his place in tennis and sporting history.

This admired biography traces the rise of Roger Federer, from his first tentative strokes with a racket to legendary status, and perhaps even the title of greatest tennis player ever. It looks at his development as a sportsman and how he has matured into a family man after his marriage and the birth of twin girls, followed by twin boys in 2014. With his remarkable return to top-level form after his grim 2013, culminating in his sealing Switzerland's Davis Cup triumph in November 2014, and his narrow loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2015 Men's Singles at Wimbledon, a fuller picture of the player's career can be painted. Far from being an endless recitation of tennis matches won and, sometimes, lost, however, the book also examines how Federer bounced back from arguably one of the most challenging periods of his career when he suffered a serious illness and a dip in form. In characteristic style, he silenced his critics by winning the French Open title for the first time, reclaiming his Wimbledon crown, winning Olympic gold, and in 2015 recording his 1,000th career win – a feat achieved by only two other players – as well as beating both Djokovic and Murray, the world Nos 1 and 2, to win the Cincinnati Masters for the seventh time. This masterly biography brings the player's story up to date, while also considering Federer the man and the player, as well as his place in tennis and sporting history.