Novak Djokovic is the only player in tennis history that has spent a record 361 weeks
as the world no 1.
This is already one amazing fact about him.
Now, even though he is currently no.
2 in the world ranking according to the Association of Tennis Professionals, he is still considered
as a world number on the list of most people.
Another fact!
With hard work, talent and dedication, Djokovic has been able to garner 20 grand slam titles,
85 ATP titles, a net worth of $220 million and so many other laurels.
Another one!
But one other big thing people fail to see, is the immense impact Jelena Djokovic has
had in the success story of the tennis genius.
Jelena may not be swinging the rackets or screaming and running from one side of the
court to the other, she however, without any doubt, continues to sustain and reenergize
Djokovic's successful career.
And of course, her own.
Today we will be looking at ten of the interesting facts about this amazing couple including
some things about the two that you might not expect:
Their origins are not so different, yet they are.
First of, we look at the origins of the lovebirds whose closeness is easily deductible from
their interaction on camera which sometimes makes one wonder if there weren’t twins
or haven't been spending all their entire lives together.
But of course they are not.
Before Jelena married Novak, the two had led separate lives.
Jelena Dokovic:
She was born Jelena Ristic on june 17 1986 in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
Her father’s name is Miomir Ristic and her Mother is Vera Ristic.
She has an elder sister named Marija Ristic.
She grew up in Belgrade where she attended a sports high-school before going on to earn
a degree in Business Administration in Bocconi University in Milan.
She also has a master’s degree in luxury brand management from the international University
of Monaco and is currently a successful business woman, humanitarian wife and mother.
Novak Djokovic:
Novak on the other hand, does not need much of an introduction but you can never know.
For example, Jelena is one year older than Novak, however, like his wife Jelena, Novak
was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia.
His date of birth is the 22nd of May 1987.
He is of both Serbian and Croatian ancestry and his parents are Srdjan and Dijana Djokovic.
Growing up, it was almost certain that Djokovic would end up being a tennis player or a cook
because his parents owned three restaurants and a tennis academy.
Now even though Djokovic likes to cook, he however, ended up being a top professional
tennis player.
He also had two brothers, Marko and Djordje who also played tennis.
Djokovic started playing tennis at the age of 4 but pursued the game at a professional
level at a very tender age of 13 in Germany, in an academy called the Pilic Academy.
Unlike Jelena, Djokovic after finishing highschool, didn't go on to college but went straight
into tennis.
Jelena Dokovic and Novak Djokovic are highschool sweethearts:
Jelena is considered a brainiac that loves reading and writing and was quite the studious
student in high school.
She always ensured she scored excellent grades and in elementary school, she is reported
to have been the best student, earning her a few scholarships.
Novak had met Jelena during this period and we would have understood if her beauty and
brain was what pulled her to him, even though that might have contributed, but Djokovic
said that:
“Jelena is the love of my life.
We have been together for a few years and her honesty is what I love about her and what
keeps us happy and in love”
Anyway, they had started dating in 2005 and their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend
was tough because it was a long distance one.
Jelena was in Milan attending Business school at the Bocconi and Djokovic was away in Germany
becoming great at tennis.
Then things got even tougher when Jelena got a job at an Oil Company in Monte Carlo.
At this time, the tennis superstar had already been touring the world and reports say that
the two love birds had considered breaking up due to their inability to see each other
more often.
But their love persisted and one day, Novak took his love life to the Couvent Des Minimes
hotel in Provence, France, by a helicopter during one of his tours In Monte Carlo.
And right there, he proposed to her.
They had their first child before getting married:
After their engagement in September 2013, Jelena soon became pregnant with their first
son.
On April 4th 2014 they announced the good news to the public and set to get married.
They got married in style
When people hear about weddings done in style, they immediately think about one done lavishly,
maybe in the Bahamas or Dubai.
Now why Jelena and Novak's wedding did come with some luxury, what highlighted the ceremony
was the fact that they had finally tied the knot after 9 years of a beautiful companionship,
and also because Novak Djokovic had been given an early wedding gift that came in the form
of a second Wimbledon title for the Serbian great.
After he won the historic game against Federer, Novak said:
“If you have time, I would like to dedicate this to my future wife and our future baby.”
Then he went on to marry Jelena in July 2014 in Montenegro.
The wedding was held in the luxurious Sveti Stefan resort and was blessed the following
day at The Church of Saint Stevens.
After the wedding, Novak had said:
"Seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress, smiling and walking towards me…
She looked like an angel.”
The pregnant Jelena had worn a beautiful gown made by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
and she had commented herself that:
“I was just so happy and probably being pregnant makes it quite difficult to control
the emotions.
I am so blessed to have him in my life.
I couldn’t ask for a better partner than him.”
The couple currently have two children:
After their first born Stefan was born in 2014, it was the father who had announced
it on Twitter, writing:
"Stefan, our baby angel was born!
I am so proud of my beautiful wife Jelena!
Thank you so much for your love and support.
We love you all"
And then, three years later, Stefan became a senior brother to Novak and Jelena's new
child, Tara, a beautiful bouncing baby girl.
They have separate careers
If Jelena had chosen to be just a housewife, she would have been fine but the ambitious
woman has been able to balance her love life, her support for her husband and her passions
and jobs.
While Novak has always been all-in with tennis, Jelena has never been an athlete herself.
Her ambitions have always centered around writing, business, philanthropy and management.
She had also messed around with modeling once when she posed for lingerie and swimwear brand,
Figleaves.
She had also worked for an Oil Company in France after graduate school, for two years….
She later became the CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation which was established in 2007.
She is also the director of Jelena Ristic Consulting, a firm she founded in July 2011
which offers digital marketing and brand development services.
Truth is, she has worn and still wears a lot of hats and admitted herself on her blog that
she has a diverse list of passions, as she wrote:
“I realised that with my open-mindedness and never satiating hunger for knowledge,
I am changing and transforming at such a pace that it is really hard to label me or put
me in one definite box.
I am everywhere and NOWhere.
Misunderstood and fully appreciated,”
Novak also share a writing passion with his wife and had written and published a book
titled "Serve to win".
He is also a businessman, owning several businesses and endorsement deals.
They both run a charity foundation:
The Novak Djokovic Foundation provides for underprivileged children with basic amenities
and quality education.
It was founded in 2007 by Novak Djokovic himself.
Jelena is the current CEO of the foundation.
They both speak multiple languages
Novak speaks German, Serbian, English and Italian fluently.
His wife on the other hand can speak, wait for it….. 17 different languages.
My goodness!
They are both well fulfilled in their fields
The couple is well fulfilled with their lives and career and they have a lot of achievements
to show for it.
Novak is one of the most decorated sports players out there, with 20 grand slam titles
and many other laurels.
Jelena on the other hand has won a philanthropic award in 2014 and had been invited to be a
guest speaker at the first 'Western Balkans Women Conference.'.
But…..
It's not all roses for the love birds
As much as Novak's prosperity story may prove otherwise, it is not at all entirely rosy
for him and his wife.
On the stance, Jelena clearly looks like one who is always into every game, enjoying to
the fullest the attention and fame that comes with being a supportive wife, but the case
is however different.
During the 2021 US Open, Jelena who wore a white t-shirt that carried her husband's face
that was in the silhouette of a wolf and the lettering, "I run with the wolf", admitted
to not enjoying every time, the run with the wolf.
The wolf here, being her husband.
In her exact words, she said:
“At first, the experience does not alarm you because it can bring you some difficulties.
We look at public figures and think that kind of publicity is okay, but as time goes on,
you lack anonymity, you lack the privacy to be able to do whatever you like at any time,
in any situation.
I try to resist all these expectations to always be myself and for Novak to be able
to be himself"
But Djokovic is sensitive enough to understand this about his wife.
He is the one who created the wolf mentality in the first place, he is the one who puts
her in this position and so he understands.
He had said once that:
“She runs with the wolf.
It can be very stressful to run with the wolf.
I know that she doesn’t enjoy it at all times.
It’s kind of living on the edge with the wolf.
But I love her, she’s my great support.”
Nevertheless, Novak and Jelena have a relationship that many people do not only gush over but
wish for.
It is usually very difficult to have an athlete who tours around the world, maintain a healthy
and long-term relationship with a career woman but the Djokovic's have managed to do it.
And it's so beautiful!
And we can write a romantic tale about the two.