Tennis-U.S. Open finalist Novak Djokovic

Sept 12 (Reuters) - Factbox on Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who

will meet Swiss Roger Federer in the U.S. Open men's final on

Sunday.

GRAND SLAM TITLES (Nine): Australian Open: 2008, 2011, 2012,

2013, 2015; Wimbledon: 2011, 2014, 2015; U.S. Open: 2011

MAKING HIS NAME

* Born: Belgrade, May 22, 1987

* Began playing tennis aged four.

* His father was a professional skier and wanted his son to

be a skier or professional soccer player but changed his mind

when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.

PLAYING CAREER

* First full year on tour in 2005: Made grand slam debut as

a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Russian Marat

Safin in the first round. Finished as the youngest player (18

years, five months) inside the top 100.

* In 2006, he won his first ATP tour title at Amersfoort.

* He retired in the 2006 French Open quarter-finals against

Spaniard Rafael Nadal when trailing by two sets, and again a

year later due to blisters in the Wimbledon semi-final against

the same opponent.

*In 2007, he won five titles (Adelaide, Miami, Estoril,

Montreal and Vienna) and reached his first grand slam final at

the U.S. Open, losing to Federer 7-6 7-6 6-4.

* Beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to win his

maiden grand slam title at the 2008 Australian Open.

* Failed to successfully defend his title in Melbourne the

following year after controversially pulling out of his

quarter-final against American Andy Roddick citing heat

exhaustion on a sweltering day.

* Led Serbia to their first Davis Cup title with victory

over France in Belgrade in December 2010.

* Began 2011 by winning the Australian Open, beating Briton

Andy Murray in the final, to end his three-year wait for a

second grand slam title.

* Won his next six tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells,

Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. Did not lose again until June

3 when Federer ended his 41-match winning streak in the French

Open semi-finals.

* Secured the number one spot on July 4 by beating Tsonga in

the Wimbledon semi-finals, then beat Nadal to clinch his first

Wimbledon crown, his first title on grass.

* Saved two match points to beat Federer in the semi-finals

of the U.S. Open then defeated Nadal in the final to become the

seventh man to win three grand slam titles in a year since

tennis turned professional in 1968.

* Won his third Australian Open title in 2012 by beating

Nadal in five hours and 53 minutes.

* Defeated by Nadal in the 2012 French Open final.

* Began 2013 by beating Murray to become the first man in

the professional era to win three successive Australian Open

titles.

* Loses to Nadal in the 2014 French Open final before

beating Federer in a five-set Wimbledon final.

* Reached all four grand slam finals in 2015. Began the year

by capturing a fifth Australian Open title, then missed out on

the French Open again after falling to Stan Wawrinka in the

final. Five weeks later draws level with his coach Boris

Becker's Wimbledon haul of three titles by defeating Federer in

the All England Club final. The U.S. Open final will mark his

42nd career meeting with Federer, who holds a 21-20 edge.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)