By Nick Georgandis

Tennis fans have known how important Novak Djokovic has been to the ATP tour for several years. Now TIME magazine has acknowledged Djokovic's importance to the whole world.

Djokovic was named to TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World recently, hailed for his "renowned sense of humor," "exquisite baseline shotmaking," and mental toughness

The 24-year-old Serbian said of his accomplishments, including his marathon victory over Rafael Nadal at this year's Australian Open, "It's the result of the really hard work that I put into it."

Every year, the magazine presents the TIME 100 - "they are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and break our world. Meet the breakouts, pioneers, moguls and icons who make up this year's TIME 100."

Djokovic is one of just thre athletes on the list - joining NBA point guard Jeremy Lin and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.