On July 23, 2006, Novak Djokovic lifted his first ATP trophy at the clay-court event in Amersfoort, Netherlands. At the time, the Serbian was 19 years old, ranked No. 36, and had shown an ability to compete against the best in the world with a quarterfinal run at Roland Garros. This would be the start of his journey towards the top of sport, as within a year, Djokovic would reach the Top 3.
Now 32, Djokovic recently hoisted his 16th Grand Slam trophy when he pulled through a five-set battle against rival Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final. Djokovic showcased the heart and grit of a champion when he saved two match points before prevailing in the tournament's first men's match decided by a winner-take-all tiebreaker at 12-12 to claim his fifth Wimbledon title.
Who knew on that day 13 years ago, the tennis world was looking at a future 16-time Grand Slam champion?