Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008
91. Novak Djokovic
Tennis
Serbia
Age: 21
The world No. 3 ranked male tennis player, behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic started the year by winning the Australian Open, and is known as much for ability to mimic his fellow pros as he is for his down-the-line backhand. He became the European champion by the time he was 14, and rose to world fame in 2007 as a runner-up at the U.S Open, reaching Wimbledon semis, and winning four out of five Master Series finals, beating Federer and Nadal along the way. The Olympics, he says, are the most important challenge of all. "That's how I see the Games, although many players wouldn't agree. There are four Masters Series every year, but the Olympics come only once in four years", he said.