Janko Tipsarević

Born: June 22, 1984 in Belgrade (Grad Beograd in Yugoslavia)
Height: 1.78 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Jанко Типсаревић… one of three representatives of the golden generation in Serbian tennis – much less successful than Novak Đoković, but notably better than Viktor Troicki. When all three, along with Nenad Zimonjić in doubles, secured the Davis Cup for Serbia in 2010, Tipsarević contributed three points in the entire edition, including two crucial ones in the semifinals against higher-ranked Czech opponents. However, Troicki, who scored one point less, replaced him in the final rubber and clinched the decisive victory. At the time, Tipsarević held a 3-0 head-to-head record against Michaël Llodra, making him a potential favorite in that rubber and a contender for the most important victory of his life. Nevertheless, the Davis Cup triumph, akin to Đoković’s experience, propelled him to another level: Đoković went on to become the best player in tennis history following the Belgrade success, while Tipsarević, previously known as a solid player participating in all major events and often seeded, achieved Top 10 status for two seasons, notably highlighted by thrilling US Open quarterfinal in 2012 (where he led 4:1, 30/0 in the fifth set against David Ferrer). It makes Tipsarević a bit special that with only four titles (Stuttgart on clay the biggest), and a lack of Masters 1K final (his best results comes from Madrid ’12 as he ousted his friend in the quarterfinal) or Grand Slam semifinal, he finished two consecutive years as No. 9, and played in “Masters” twice thanks to withdrawal of higher ranked players.
He was the first player in history with many visible tattoos (both arms and shoulder blades), one of them quoting the famous 19th-century Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky: «Красота спасёт мир» (Beauty will save the world), yet inked in Japanese kanji 美は世界を救う. Apart from the tattoos, also his plastic eyeglasses made him to look futuristically. Between 2014 and 2017, Tipsarević underwent seven surgeries: two on his left foot, two on his right knee, and two on each hamstring. Due to these injuries, he did not compete at all in 2014 and 2018. Known for his strong serve (given his modest height), with flat strokes off both wings, Tipsarević, when in form during matches in the mentioned period of his Top 10 status, was capable of hitting impressive winners with higher frequency than most.
Trivia: at the Australian Open ’11, he lost a five-setter to Fernando Verdasco despite leading two-sets-to-love and squandering three match points in the fourth set. A similar situation seemed to unfold at Roland Garros two years later when Verdasco came back from 0-2 again, saving two match points in 4th; however, “Tipsy” ultimately prevailed 8-6 in the decider.
“During my injuries there were definitely some serious mental problems I was dealing with, you can even use the term depression to describe how I felt. Dealing with all the ups and downs, doctors and opinions, you just become fucking insane from not knowing what to do.” he reflected on his career. Certainly he had a syndrome of hypochondria, often withdrawing from matches even when his physical condition appeared relatively fine; he holds a high ranking among players with the most retirements/walkovers – a total of 26 times.

Career record: 288-257 [ 245 events ]
Career titles: 4
Highest ranking: No. 8
Best GS results:
US Open (quarterfinal 2011-12)
Davis Cup champion 2010
World Team Cup champion 2009