Nikolay Davydenko was born on June 2nd, 1981 in Ukraine. He was granted Russian citizenship in 1999, the same year he turned pro. He left his parents at the age of 11 to live with his brother in Russia in order to improve his tennis game. At 15 they both moved to Germany.

Davydenko won his first title in 2003 in Adelaide. Since then he has won another nine tournaments including five in 2006. His best finish in a Grand Slam is the semi finals which he has achieved both at Roland Garros and the US Open. His biggest win came at the Paris Masters in 2006.