He is the last of the big three who has not finished his career yet and is not even thinking about it. And Novak Djokovic is already 37 years old. His wife Jelena Djokovic herself does not know what else drives the engines of the tennis record holder when he won the last big trophy he dreamed of in the form of an Olympic gold medal in Paris this year.
The Swiss Roger Federer has been retired from sports for two years, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal will finish his Davis Cup matches in a few weeks. From the 2025 season, only the famous Serb will remain from the big three of world tennis.
They are consumed by records, strong relationships with children and supportive wives in the background. While the first two gentlemen decided to spend time with their family, Djokovic not only does not think about the end, he even persuaded Nadal to continue at a recent exhibition.
The 37-year-old Serb is currently the fourth player in the world. And even though he is after knee surgery and is increasingly saving his strength – for example, by now skipping the prestigious Masters in Paris – he still has big ambitions.
His wife, Jelena Djokovic, née Risticová, sees it in him, who has been with the native of Belgrade for twenty years and has lived with him basically his entire career, and who was interviewed by the Argentinian newspaper La Nacion.
“He does and will do what he wants, for as long as he wants. He tries to choose the places where to go and where to play, as he feels it is right. That is not my business,” declared Djokovic.
In addition to son Stefan, who celebrated his tenth birthday on Monday, and seven-year-old daughter Tara, she also takes care of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which collects funds for the education and upbringing of children in need.
Thus, she fulfills several roles, but she still tries to be in the audience for her husband at important tournaments, even with her children. And the most important moment of this season was the final of the Olympic Games in Paris, which, according to her, was the last blank column in the otherwise complete biography of the playing legend.
“When he managed to win the Olympics, I cried, but at the same time I thought: ‘What will happen next? What will be his next goal? As I know him, it won’t end here.’ I still don’t know, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
Even though Djokovic is away every now and then and spends long weeks without the children, it doesn’t seem to affect their relationship.
“They are still small, but they already know that their dad is a hard worker, a fighter and a respected person. I often hear them say: ‘Do you know who my dad is?’ It’s such a childish boast, but they perceive his legacy,” he thinks their mom.
At the same time, the wife of the twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion had set foot on a career in a completely different industry. She studied business management in Milan and worked in an oil company. But already during her studies, she met a teenager with excellent tennis skills, and life took a different turn.
“It is an honor to live with such an inspiring person, he is a spiritual and mental giant. We lived a fairy tale together,” she added.
