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They met in high school.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Jul 15, 2019
The 2019 Wimbledon Championships began on July 1st and ended just yesterday, with new champion Simona Halep taking the title for the Ladies Singles, and Novak Djokovic taking the championship and winning his 16th Grand Slam. Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in a five-set game that lasted almost five hours, making it the longest Wimbledon Final in history!
Djokovic is currently ranked number one in men’s singles tennis by the ATP, winning 33 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles, 12 ATP Tour 500 titles, 16 Grand Slam singles titles, and give ATP Finals titles. He’s won seven Australian Open titles, five Wimbledon titles, three US Open titles, and one French Open title.
He’s also the first Serbian player to be ranked number one by the ATP, and has won numerous awards, including the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year four times, and the 2011 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award.
But like any spouse of a professional athlete, they are there for support for every game, especially the finals. And Djokovic is no different, as his wife was seen in the crowd cheering him on. Just who is Novak Djokovic’s wife? Here are six things to know about Jelena Djokovic, their life together, and her career.
1. She’s from Serbia.
According to her personal bio, Jelena was born in Belgrade, Serbia. She has one older sister, Marija, who is her business partner. She and Marija left Serbia to study abroad when they were 18, living in Italy to study, and then moving to Monaco.
2. They met in high school.
Jelena and Novak met in high school, but remained friends for two years before dating. In 2005, they became a couple.
3. They’ve been married for five years.
The couple became engaged in September 2013, and wed in July 2014 on Sveti Stefan in Montenegro, a country that borders Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, and Croatia.
4. They have two children.
The Djokovics are parents to a son, Stefan, born in October 2014, and daughter Tara, born in September 2017. The family also has two dogs: an 11-year-old poodle, Pierre, and five-year-old poodle, Tesla.
5. She’s the director of a charity.
Jelena is the director of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which helps children in Serbia follow their goals and dreams by improving the education system. The foundation opens and renovates kindergartens and outdoor spaces, trains teachers, organizes support groups for parents, and invests in research. In addition, she works for the educational magazine, Original Magazine, and is an advocate for healthy living.
She wrote on her website, “All of my research revolves around finding the answer on this simple question: ‘How to live a healthy life with purpose?’ I look for answers in different books on psychology, self-help, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and nutrition. The beauty of being a seeker of knowledge is that you can take any path you’d like. There is no right or wrong, there is just a process of learning and shaping and growing. It can take you anywhere.”
6. She always supports her husband.
After winning the Shanghai Masters in October 2018, Novak thanked his family, recalling how it was to see his wife holding his son at the trophy ceremony.
He said, “When I became a father, one of my biggest dreams was to have my children present at the stands while I am playing, let alone winning trophies. Everyone keeps on asking me to describe the feeling. I have said it is unforgettable, special, fulfilling, wonderful, joyful. But most of all, it is magical.
I am happy and joyful beyond belief. I am so grateful to have experienced that. My wife was so helpful and supportive all the way since she gave birth to both Stefan and Tara. She always took time to discuss whatever bothered me and to help me find a way where I can feel like I am giving my best at home with kids and her and at the tennis court.”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.