Novak Djokovic has become a household name for his Wimbledon victories over the years, but off the court, many people might not know much about his life with wife Jelena Ristić
Jelena Djokovic with Laureus World Sportsman of The Year 2019 Nominee Novak Djokovic kiss during the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards on February 18, 2019
The tennis star claims his wife is the key to his success (Image: Getty Images for Laureus)
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is back on the court this evening as the favourite to take home the trophy once again, but outside of tennis, he’s been winning in the romance department also.
The 36-year-old, who has been playing tennis since the age of four, has been married to Jelena Ristić since 2014, with the pair recently starting their own family.
However, their relationship goes back much further than that as the couple actually first met in high school in Serbia. Although it seems sparks may not have flown right away, as while they met in the ’90s, they didn’t officially start dating until a decade later.
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However, things got off to a rocky start when they finally did go on a date, as their first outing was a bit of a disaster. In a video in 2016, produced with Jacob’s Creek ahead of the Australian Open, Novak recalled how he almost blew his chances with Jelena after their first date in Monte Carlo at a sports bar.
“In my eyes, at the time it was a very exclusive place to take her,” he revealed, before adding: “I wanted to impress her so I found this very good restaurant.” And while Jelena wasn’t overly impressed by the choice of venue, she also wasn’t impressed by what her date ordered for her.
Novak Djokovic and girlfriend Jelena Ristic arrive for the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, at Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London
The couple went on a disastrous first date ( Image: PA)
Novak and Jelena
They tied the knot in 2014 ( Image: Instagram)
Jelena revealed: “Awkward moment, he wants to order for me and it wasn’t what I expected.” Novak thought he’d ordered steak for her as it was her favourite, however he was horrified when he realised his mistake and a plate of raw meat was served.
“I called the waiter over and explained the steak was underdone,” he said, but then was embarrassed to be told: “You ordered the steak tartare it’s always served raw.”
Clearly, Jelena wasn’t too put off by it all though as they’re still together and the bad date has made for a funny story to tell. “Whenever we see a steak tartare on the menu it reminds us of our first date,” Novak added at the end of the video.
Novak and Jelena went on to get engaged in 2013 after eight years together and they married in July 2014 in a small ceremony at a luxurious seaside resort at Aman Sveti Stefani, overlooking the Adriatic Seas. Speaking to Hello! about the moment he first saw his bride on their wedding day, Novak said: “Seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress, smiling and walking towards me… She looked like an angel.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia, partner, Jelena Djokovic and their children pose for a photograph with the winners trophy after the Men’s Singles Final match on Day Fifteen of the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on June 11, 2023 in Paris, France.
They have two children together, a son named Stefan and a daughter, called Tara ( Image: Getty Images)
“I was trying to be present in that moment and memorise it. I was focused on her, and her smile, and our baby. It really was a perfect moment.”
Jelena had actually been pregnant on their special day and a few months later in October 2014, they welcomed a son, named Stefan. They’ve since also had a daughter called Tara in 2017.
Mum-of-two Jelena is a humanitarian and businesswoman and is also a big fan of Instagram. She often shares snaps of their family online, with the stunning 37-year-old previously being praised by many after sharing a “beautiful” picture of her breastfeeding their newborn daughter.
She also notably posted an image of her with her two children outside of the couple’s wedding venue, captioning it: “This is where Mommy and Daddy got married while Stefan was still in Mommy’s belly. And this island’s name is St. Stefan.”
Aside from working together to raise their children, the husband and wife also teamed up to co-found a charity, the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which Jelena is CEO of. The charity aims to achieve equal access to early childhood education.