Viktor Troicki (, ; born 10 February 1986) is a Serbian tennis coach and a former professional player. He won three singles and two doubles titles on the ATP Tour. Troicki won his first ATP singles title at the 2010 Kremlin Cup, and his second and third ATP singles titles at the 2015 and 2016 Apia International Sydney. His biggest achievements were a career-high singles ranking of world No. 12 (achieved in June 2011) and winning the deciding rubber in Serbia's Davis Cup final against France in 2010. Since then, in every Davis Cup he attended, he has contributed to Serbia reaching a quarterfinal or better. He is known for serving a 12-month ban for an anti-doping rule violation in 2013–14 for missing a blood test. By winning the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020, Troicki became the first player in tennis Open Era history to win all three major team competitions (Davis Cup in 2010 and World Team Cup in 2009 and 2012). In December 2020, Troicki was appointed captain of the Serbian team for the Davis Cup and ATP Cup.
Early life Troicki was born on 10 February 1986 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia to a lawyer father, Aleksandar, and economist mother, Mila. Of paternal Russian descent and Serbian mother, Troicki grew up in the Dorćol neighborhood of Belgrade.
Viktor grew up playing soccer and started playing tennis in his hometown of Belgrade at the age of five. His childhood idol was Andre Agassi.
Career Juniors As a junior, Troicki compiled a singles win–loss record of 68–31 (52–20 in doubles) and reached a combined ranking of No. 10 in the junior world rankings in October 2004.
Junior Grand Slam results – Singles:
Australian Open: – French Open: 3R (2004) Wimbledon: 2R (2004) US Open: QF (2004)
Junior Grand Slam results – Doubles:
Australian Open: – French Open: 1R (2004) Wimbledon: F (2004) US Open: SF (2004)
2003–2007 In 2003, Troicki began playing Futures tournaments in Serbia, and in August 2004, won his first title in Niš. He won his second Futures title in Belgrade in June 2005, defeating Fabio Colangelo in the final. In September that year, ranked No. 490, he reached his first Challenger final in Banja Luka, losing to world No. 139 Vasilis Mazarakis.
In April 2006, Troicki won his first Challenger title in Dharwad, India, defeating Łukasz Kubot in the final. In October that year, ranked No. 276, he qualified for the Japan Open and recorded his first ATP main-draw win with a 6–7, 6–4, 6–2 victory over world No. 99 Fernando Vicente; this was his first win over an opponent ranked in the top 100. He lost 6–7, 6–7 in the second round to world No. 1 and eventual champion Roger Federer.
In July 2007, as a qualifier in the Croatian Open Umag, he recorded his first top 10 win when he defeated world No. 3 and fellow countryman Novak Djokovic in the second round 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, before eventually losing to Romanian Andrei Pavel in the semifinals.
2008: First ATP final
Troicki's first Grand Slam tournament came when he advanced as a qualifier in the Australian Open. Facing second seed Rafael Nadal in the first round, he played a tight match and held a set point in the first set, but lost 6–7, 5–7, 1–6.
He then represented Serbia in the Davis Cup against Russia, losing to Nikolay Davydenko 1–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 2–6, and defeating Dmitry Tursunov 7–6, 4–6, 6–3.
Troicki's next appearance was at the ATP Masters Series in Miami. He faced Andy Roddick in the second round. Troicki took the first set from Roddick, where he attempted an angled drop shot which Roddick returned it with an even more angled shot on his backhand. After this, it seemed to go downhill for Troicki, and he eventually lost 7–5, 2–6, 4–6. He then competed in the Torneo Godó, where he retired against Nicolás Almagro 2–6, ret. In his French Open debut, he lost in the opening round to Marc Gicquel 4–6, 3–6, 6–4, 5–7. He then competed in three straight tournaments, in the Queen's Club Championships losing to David Nalbandian in the second round, in the Ordina Open, losing to Guillermo Cañas in the quarterfinals, and in the Wimbledon Championships to Radek Štěpánek in the second round, after winning the first two sets 7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 1–6, 2–6.
Following Wimbledon, Troicki competed at the Croatia Open, losing to Carlos Moyá in the second round.
He then reached his first ATP final in Washington, D.C. at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Troicki defeated American Bobby Reynolds in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals, where he defeated Andy Roddick, the defending champion and top-seeded American 0–6, 6–2, 6–4, to reach the semifinals, where he defeated Igor Kunitsyn. In the final, he lost to second seed Juan Martín del Potro, 3–6, 3–6.
At the US Open, Troicki defeated Carsten Ball in the first round and Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round, before losing to Rafael Nadal.
He then represented Serbia again in the Davis Cup against Slovakia, winning his only match against Lukáš Lacko 6–3, 6–4. He then competed in the Thailand Open, losing to Jürgen Melzer in the second round, in the Japan Open, losing to Andy Roddick, and the Kremlin Cup, losing to Mischa Zverev, both in the quarterfinals. He ended the year losing in the first round of the St. Petersburg and Paris Masters. He ended the year No. 56 in the world.
2009: Second ATP final & ARAG World Team Cup title
In January 2009, he lost in first round of the Qatar Open to Victor Hănescu and in the quarterfinals of Auckland Open to del Potro. In second round of the Australian Open, he was crushed by Tommy Robredo, 6–1, 6–3, 6–0. After that, Troicki made a good result in the Zagreb Indoors. He lost in the semifinals to Marin Čilić, 2–6, 5–7. Also in February, Troicki won the GEMAX Open, a Tretorn Series + Challenger held in Belgrade. In the final, he defeated Dominik Hrbatý in two sets.
In March 2009, Troicki played for the Serbian Davis Cup team, losing to David Ferrer 0–6, 3–6. He then competed in the next four Masters Series. In the BNP Paribas Open, he lost to David Nalbandian in the third round 4–6, 2–6. In the Miami Masters, he reached the fourth round before Andy Murray defeated him 6–1, 6–0. He then lost in the first round to Stan Wawrinka in the Monte Carlo Masters, and in the Rome Masters to Juan Martín del Potro in the second round. Troicki competed in the first tournament of his home nation in the Serbia Open, losing to compatriot Novak Djokovic. In the Madrid Masters, he lost to Nikolay Davydenko 2–6, 2–6, in the opener. He then represented Serbia in the ARAG World Team Cup, helping Serbia to win the title by beating Rainer Schüttler in the finals. In the French Open, he lost to fifth seed and eventual semifinalist Juan Martín del Potro in the second round 3–6, 5–7, 0–6, after defeating Łukasz Kubot in a tight five-setter 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–7, 6–3.
Troicki was seeded for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon Championships, as 30th seed, beating Brian Dabul in straight sets in the first, and winning a five-setter against Daniel Gimeno Traver in the second round. He lost to Andy Murray in the third round. He then competed in the German Open in Hamburg, losing to eventual finalist Paul-Henri Mathieu 0–3 ret., in the quarterfinals due to a foot injury he suffered when he fell hard in the start of the match. He then lost to Máximo González in Umag in the first round 4–6, 6–3, 6–7. He lost to Marc Gicquel in the second round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, 0–3 ret., due to his recurring foot injury suffered in Hamburg after receiving a bye in the first round. He then lost to Ferrer in the first round of the Rogers Masters 3–6, 0–6, and retired in the first round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters against Radek Štěpánek, 7–6, 1–0 ret. He had recorded five straight loses. Troicki competed in the US Open as 30th seed and claimed his first victory since Hamburg, defeating Peter Luczak 6–3, 6–3, 1–6, 2–6, 6–1, in the first round, but lost to Julien Benneteau in the following round. He then competed in the 2009 Davis Cup Play-offs, where he won both his matches against Uzbekistan.
Troicki reached another final in the Thailand Open. After defeating Thomaz Bellucci, 6–3, 7–6 in the round of 16, he then defeated eighth-seeded American John Isner 7–6, 6–2, in the quarterfinals. In his semifinal match, he went on to upset the defending 2008 Bangkok champion, 2008 Australian Open finalist, and top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 1–6, 6–2, 6–3 to reach his second ATP World Tour final to face the second seeded Gilles Simon. He lost 5–7, 3–6. He then competed in the 2009 China Open, where he lost in the second round to compatriot and eventual champion Novak Djokovic 3–6, 0–6. He then competed in the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, where he lost to eighth seed Gilles Simon, 3–6, 4–6, after defeating Juan Mónaco 6–1, 6–2, in the first round. He was then upset by Karol Beck in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open, marking his 10th first-round loss in 25 tournaments. He then defeated Benjamin Becker 6–2, 7–6, before losing to Marin Čilić in the second round in a close three setter 6–7, 7–6, 6–7, in the Swiss Indoors. He played his last tournament in the BNP Paribas Masters, losing in the second round to Radek Štěpánek 4–6, 2–6, after defeating Paul-Henri Mathieu 7–6, 3–0 ret.
2010: First ATP and Davis Cup title
Troicki began the year by competing in the Qatar Open as the fifth seed, where he advanced to the semifinals after defeating Daniel Gimeno Traver 6–1, 7–5, Olivier Rochus 6–2, 6–2, and Łukasz Kubot 4–6, 6–4, 7–6, but lost to Rafael Nadal 1–6, 3–6. At the Medibank International Sydney, he beat Florent Serra 7–6, 6–4, in the first round and lost to Marcos Baghdatis in the second round 5–7, 3–6. He then lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Florian Mayer 6–4, 4–6, 6–7, 1–6. In the Zagreb Indoors, he was upset by Michael Berrer 4–6, 3–6, in the quarterfinals, after defeating Rainer Schüttler 6–3, 6–2, and Mikhail Kukushkin 7–5, 7–5. He then retired against Jürgen Melzer in the first round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament due to an elbow injury, being 3–6, 0–3 down. He then competed in the Dubai Tennis Championships, where he lost to compatriot Novak Djokovic in the second round. In the BNP Paribas Open, he lost in the fourth round to Tomáš Berdych 1–6, 3–6, having only played and won one game in the previous rounds, as he received a bye when his second round opponent Pablo Cuevas retired after one game and Nikolay Davydenko withdrew. In the Sony Ericsson Open, he lost to David Nalbandian in a close match 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, in the second round, after receiving a bye.
At the start of the clay season, Troicki competed in the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to 12th seed Tommy Robredo in the second round, after defeating Łukasz Kubot 4–6, 6–2, 6–2.
In October 2010, Troicki won his first ATP doubles title at the Thailand Open partnering Christopher Kas, and a few weeks later, won his first ATP singles title at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, defeating Marcos Baghdatis in the final 3–6, 6–4, 6–3. On his road to the title, he defeated Dmitry Tursunov, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Horacio Zeballos, and Pablo Cuevas.
Troicki was part of Serbia's Davis Cup team that reached the final for the first time in their history in 2010. He was initially overlooked for the singles rubbers, but after compatriot Janko Tipsarević was beaten by Gaël Monfils in straight sets, Troicki was chosen to play the final singles rubber, as well as the doubles. With Serbia and France tied at 2–2, Troicki won the deciding match 6–2, 6–2, 6–3, against Michaël Llodra to clinch Serbia's first Davis Cup.
2011: Masters quarterfinal & reaching top 15