A star on the rise: New Aussie Open champ Novak Djokovic has earned his first Laureus World Sports Award nomination for Breakthrough of the Year. The Serbian tennis star earned the prestigious nomination after a stand-out 2007 where he won 5 titles, was runner-up at the US Open, made the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and reached No. 3 in the world.
According to the Award's site,
"The 20-year-old Serbian made a major impact on the men’s game in 2007, winning five tournaments, though his most significant achievement was probably finishing as runner-up at the US Open, where he lost in the final to Roger Federer. He also reached the semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon. His victories included two Masters series events in Miami and Montreal. He reached World No 3 ranking in July 2007. In the Davis Cup, by winning all of his three matches, Djokovic played a key role in the win over Australia, promoting Serbia to the World Group."Nole is in stellar company as he joins World No. 1's Roger Federer (Sportsman of the Year, 3-time winner) and Justine Henin (Sportswoman of the Year) as nominees for a 2008 Laureus Award.
The Awards will be handed out on February 18 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
(image via laureus.com + AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
