Being the younger brother of world number one Novak Djokovic has plenty of advantages but world number 869 Marko is finding that the surname is not always one of them as it seems to make opponents raise their game.
An estimated 6,000 adoring fans braved frigid temperatures on Thursday to get a glimpse of the world's top seeded tennis player Novak Djokovic in the central Serbian town of Jagodina.
The French Open title and an Olympic gold medal are the only major prizes in tennis to have eluded Novak Djokovic, and for the Serb, there is no point discussing which he would rather win this year.
"I dared to dream of becoming the best player. Now I have this special award and I think everything is possible," said Serbian tennis giant Novak Djokovic, who was just acclaimed the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday.
Novak Djokovic was acclaimed Laureus World Sportsman of the year, while Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot was the best Sportswoman of the Year.
Top tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentina's charismatic football star Lionel Messi set paces for the the Laureus World Sports Awards, dubbed the Oscar of sports.
Novak Djokovic waged war against Rafa Nadal for almost six hours in the longest grand slam final ever played to claim a third Australian Open title and leave the tortured Spaniard empty-handed yet again.
Novak Djokovic said Rafa Nadal had pushed him to the brink of exhaustion as his weary legs held him upright just long enough to see off the Spaniard in the longest grand slam final on record.
Novak Djokovic won his third Australian Open title after beating Rafael Nadal of Spain in a historic final on Sunday. Nadal: Record final has banished mental demons Djokovic: Nadal pushed me to the edge
MELBOURNE - Defending champion Novak Djokovic dug deep on Friday to see off Britain's Andy Murray in a thrilling five-set semifinal at the Australian Open.
MELBOURNE - Reigning champion Novak Djokovic swept into the third round on Thursday and warned he felt more comfortable at the Australian Open than anywhere else - although he insisted he was not "invincible".
MELBOURNE - Novak Djokovic kept cool in stifling Melbourne heat to kick off his Australian Open title defense with a straight-sets thrashing of Italian Paolo Lorenzi on Tuesday and not even a grilling about a possible players' revolt could make him break sweat.