On 5 December 2010, Novak Djokovic led Serbia to its first Davis Cup title, defeating France 3–2 in a tense final at the Belgrade Arena. Trailing after the doubles, Serbia required two singles wins on the decisive day, and Djokovic delivered the first with controlled authority.
A final day under national expectation
The tie stood at 2–1 to France after a gruelling doubles comeback. Djokovic walked onto the indoor hard court needing a win against Gaël Monfils to keep his nation alive. He broke early and never relented, racing through a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory that levelled the final.
"Under the circumstances, maybe one of the best matches I have played this year," Djokovic told reporters afterwards. "It was definitely a lot of pressure, expectations." The win set the stage for Viktor Troicki, who then clinched the trophy with a straight-sets win over Michaël Llodra.
Two points, one historic first
Djokovic contributed both of Serbia's singles points in the final, having earlier defeated Gilles Simon in straight sets on the opening day. Serbia became the 13th nation to lift the trophy, receiving it from the previous champion Spain. The team celebrated by shaving their heads, a pre-arranged bet fulfilled.
At the time, Djokovic was closing his fourth straight year ranked world No. 3, holding only the 2008 Australian Open among majors. The Davis Cup triumph is widely seen as a catalyst — he began 2011 by winning the Australian Open and went on to claim Wimbledon and the US Open that year.
He had first played Davis Cup as a 16-year-old for a combined Serbia-Montenegro team. Now, in front of his home crowd, he had carried his country to a place it had never been.
