Novak Djokovic is chasing Wimbledon glory once again, with the star aiming to pick up his eighth title at SW19. On Friday, the star will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti during a match where will he no doubt be cheered on by wife Jelena.
However, it’s not only Yelena who cheers on the tennis ace, as Novak is also often cheered on by his two young children: Stefan, nine, and daughter Tara, six. Novak is certainly a doting dad, and the father-of-two has spoken on several occasions about how much his children mean to him.
“Dads should play with their children all the time,” he said ahead of the Australian Open when he was separated from his brood. “I mean, that’s like my favourite part of the day; just when I have their attention and when they have my attention and we are fully present, we play and we invent stuff. It’s the best.”
And it appears that his sporting pedigree has rubbed off on his son, Stefan, who is following in his father’s footsteps. Here’s all you need to know about the star’s children…
Born in October 2014, Novac’s wife, Jelena, was heavily pregnant with their son when the pair walked down the aisle in July 2014.
Novac was a proud father from the very start and following his son’s birth, he enthused: “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!!!”
Stefan is keen to follow in his father’s footsteps and was even seen training with his father in 2022 ahead of the 37-year-old nabbing his seventh title. Novac has confirmed Stefan’s choice was entirely his own saying in a press conference: “I’m not forcing him to play tennis.
“I never did that, not a single day have I told him that he has to do this. It’s really only his pure desire to step on the court. So if he wants to embark on this journey, I guess I have to embark with him too. He’s doing well so far, he’s really in love with the sport.”
However, it appears that one thing Stefan hasn’t inherited is Novac’s playstyle, with the tennis star even jokingly sharing his frustrations that Stefan appears to mimic his rival, Rafael Nadal.
Novak and Jelena welcomed their second child on 2 September 2017 and Novac was over the moon when his little girl entered the word.
“Jelena and I have been hand in hand on their journey and as a man, I have to send my love and admiration to every single women out there for going through so much pain and effort to create life, to bring life and raise a human being,” he sweetly said. “What a blessing to have an opportunity to be a parent!”
“Jelena and Tara are my angels, and Stefan is a proud big brother who wants to take part in baby chores.”
However, while Stefan is eager to join his father on centre court, Tara has little interest in the sport, although she is still very sporty. “She is not into tennis at all,” Novac shared ahead of last year’s Australian Open.
“She’s into ballet and gymnastics. You know, she’s a really cute girl. She keeps me grounded and humble, and she spins me around every single day.”
And it sounds like Tara doesn’t always support her father when he plays, with Novac revealing her favourite player is actually Russia’s Andrey Rublev. “She likes him for his headband and for his energy and intensity,” he told reporters.
It’s clear that Novac loves being a dad, and he loves being supported by his children when he plays, with Stefan seen imitating some of his father’s point-winning strokes.
In one interview, Novac said: “It’s always special for me the feeling to play in front of my son. I didn’t have too many opportunities in my life to have that kind of sensation and experience. It’s always very unique.”
The star’s devotion to his children also means he’s comfortable not to play in every tournament as he once shared: “Personally, as a father, I have learned that spending more time with children really, you know, grants you with incredible satisfaction and beautiful emotions and things that you carry for a long time that define fatherhood and parenthood in a way.”
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