Biography

Janko was born on June 22, 1984. To this day he lives at the same address at Studentska St. in New Belgrade. He enjoyed all the love from his family, pampered by everyone. He was a big and happy baby and he grew up with no problems whatsoever. When he was very young his favorite toy was a gray teddy bear, but most of all he loved endless splashing in his bath. He started walking (or should we say running) when he was nine months old. Since then he hardly ever parted from any ball he could find. He wasn�t even two when the neighbors predicted him a soccer career. He also liked badminton, sponge ball racket games, bicycles, tree climbing, skateboard and any game involving running with equipment that goes with it. He didn�t go to day care because his mother decided that she was going to be a very active participant in her children�s growing up. At an early age you had to put him to sleep by telling him stories � from the top of your head, not reading from the book. That was very important to him. He wasn�t finicky about his food. His brother Veljko, two years younger then himself, always kept him company, the way he does today, too. He loved cartoons and the zoo. You couldn�t explain to him why he couldn�t get out of the moving car when he wanted to. He spent his summers in Brus and at the coast; his winters he spent in the mountains, skiing, because that was his father�s favorite sport. With two boys in the house, it was always very hectic of course. The balls often ended in the pots with milk or other food, and a penal shot was performed from the dining table more than once. Once, while having a walk, Janko�s grandfather spotted a tennis school ad. The idea was welcomed with enthusiasm in the family, mostly because it would give them a chance to have a quiet cup of coffee on weekends. Although he didn�t go to day care, Janko knew how to behave in a group with children he didn�t know. He started to attend "Skoligrica" (a pre-school facility) when he was three and also the English lessons when he was five. So this new activity had its purpose in channeling his enormous energy in an organized and useful manner. So it happened that Janko went to his first tennis lesson on November 11, 1990. For that purpose a wooden tennis racket was found in the house (a gift from his grandmother), which, although too big for him, had to do for starters. He hardly ever parted from the racket since. After a couple of lessons, the coach talked to the parents and suggested that Janko had lessons three times a week in the group of children older and more experienced than himself. So, gradually, tennis became a major activity in Janko�s daily schedule. Three months later the experts evaluated Janko as a big talent, which made his father take serious actions towards developing his tennis skills. The following year coach Vlada Stojakovic put a lot of effort in Janko�s progress. At the time Janko�s training partner was Nikola Djordjevic, one of the most promising young tennis talents. Then the war came and coach Vlada left the country. His colleague, Vlada Ristic, took over. In the first couple of years Janko practiced in two different places. During winter at the gym in "Sedam sekretara SKOJ-a" Elementary School, during summer on ground courts at "11. april" Sports Center. In February 1993 "AS" New Belgrade Tennis Club was founded. It so happened that in April of that year the management of the Club hired Mr. Roman Savochkin, a Russian citizen, as the head coach. Roman was a good player and a high quality coach. Janko was very lucky to start practicing with him as a nine year old kid. They have cherished this cooperation ever since. Then Yugoslav championships for ten and twelve year old children came along and Janko competed successfully with older kids. Those were the beginnings of his competitive tennis career. Together with Janko, his whole family entered the tennis world, especially his father who realized that without the support of the family hardly anything could be accomplished. In doing so, Pavle found ways to learn everything he could to be able to manage Janko�s career properly. Foreign championships proved to be essential. When he was ten, as a member of a team of young players, Janko participated in his first international tournament in Nirnberg. Many tournaments for children up to age fourteen then followed, domestic as well as international. Due to circumstances in the country, the family�s financial situation was getting worse so they put all their hopes for financial help for Janko�s tennis career into foreign agencies. This help came at the unofficial world tournament in a small French town of Tarbes. Janko was spotted by an agent from Pro Serve, Mr. James Mercer, who expressed his interest by giving Janko his first contract. That was the beginning of a very successful cooperation without which Janko�s game wouldn�t be what it is today. Another important fact is that the ITF (International Tennis Federation), as an organization that takes interest in young talents, has in every way been helping Janko as a promising player. Janko�s family, his talent, practice, experts around him, financial help from abroad � those are the factors that made Janko European champion in the category up to age 16 when he wasn�t yet 15 and junior world champion up to age 18 when he was 16. And he has done all that coming from a country where tennis isn�t quite appreciated as a sport. This was certainly a sensational achievement that gave Janko Tipsarevic a lot of publicity in the world of tennis. Janko was a member of Yugoslav team in all categories. At fourteen he was the youngest player who played for his country in DAVIS Cup. (Information from www.tipsarevic.com) ___________________________________________________ Began playing at age six and at age eight in April 1993, began playing at фAS… New Belgrade Tennis Club with Russian coach Roman Savochkin, who still works with him...Father, Pavel, is a professor; mother, Vesna, is a housewife...His grandmother keeps a journal on her grandson...Has one younger brother (by two years), Veljko, who is a college student...Speaks Serbian, English and Russian...Finished high school and in 2006 completed university work in Belgrade, studying Sports Management...Enjoys snowboarding, house music and reading psychiatry books of Nietzsche, Dostojevski and Goethe...Has a tattoo on his left arm with enscription фBeauty will save the world… from Dostojevski...Idols growing up were Agassi and Kafelnikov...Prefers playing on slow hard courts and clay...Compiled an outstanding junior career by finishing No. 2 in world junior rankings in 2001...Captured Australian Open juniors (d. Wang) and reached QF at Roland Garros juniors...Compiled an 8-3 career mark in ITF junior finals between 1999-2001...Has a 23-8 career Davis Cup record (18-7 in singles) in 19 ties ...Coached by Alberto Castellani and fitness trainer is Tomovic Dragan (since 2000).