Who is Jelena Djokovic? Facts to know about her

Meet Jelena Djokovic – wearer of many hats and wife of Novak Djokovic. 

Jelena Djokovic, businesswoman and humanitarian, is married to Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic – a 24-time Grand Slam champion and unarguably one of the greatest players of this generation. 

Balancing her many interests, including working to better the lives of disadvantaged kids at home in Serbia, Jelena juggles being the mother of two kids and turning up to cheer for her husband at his tennis matches. Djokovic was present courtside when Novak won the 2023 US Open, also his 24th major title, equalling the tally of Margaret Court in the process. 

Here is everything there is to know about Jelena Djokovic, including her relationship with her world-famous husband and a glimpse of their life away from the tennis court.

Jelena and Novak are high-school sweethearts

Jelena and Novak had been acquainted long before tying the knot in 2014. They attended the same high school together in their native Serbia. The pair first got together when playing tennis at school. They dated for eight years before making it official with an engagement in 2013 in Monte Carlo, where Novak had made his home. 

Jelena and Novak got married less than a week after Novak won his second Wimbledon title in 2014. The venue for the nuptials was a small coastal town in Montenegro.  

Jelena is an alumnus of Milan’s Bocconi University

Jelena and Novak got together just as Novak turned pro in 2003 and his tennis career was on the ascent. Jelena decided to focus on her studies and ended up at the Bocconi University in Milan.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from the Milan-based university, complemented by a Master’s in Luxury Goods and Services from the International University of Monaco.

Kept apart by professional commitments, the couple indulged in some long-distance romance and made it work despite their busy schedules for those few years. 

Humanitarian & businesswoman

Jelena Djokovic is both a humanitarian and a businesswoman. Born in Belgrade in 1986, Djokovic heads the Novak Djokovic Foundation (NDF) in her capacity as Global CEO. The NDF is a charity she co-founded with her husband that strives for equal access to early childhood education. 

Jelena is also at the helm of Oriental Magazine as the director of the online platform, producing community-oriented content as part of the NDF.

Jelena embraces her brood of four

The couple’s first child was well on the way by the time they wed in July 2014. Their first child, a son they named Stefan Djokovic, arrived on October 22, 2014. A daughter, Tara Djokovic, followed three years later in September 2017. 

Part of the couple’s family are two poodles named Pierre and Tesla. Jelena regularly shares the life of the two dogs on Instagram. 

A busy domestic life hasn’t stopped Jelena from embracing her adventurous streak. In 2022, she took time out to hike up the La Concha summit in Spain along with Novak. She is also an exponent of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art form fusing elements of dance and acrobatics. 

Jelena is vocal about Novak’s exploits

Jelena Djokovic uses social media as an effective bullhorn to publicize her husband’s exploits, not that it is needed. Nevertheless, she is happy to talk about Novak’s milestones at every chance she gets. 

Jelena took to Instagram to celebrate Novak’s win at the 2022 ATP Finals and repeated the gesture a few months later when he won the Australian Open for the 10th time. A heartwarming family image carousel preceded these posts on July 10, 2022, after Novak won the 2022 Wimbledon title, which was also their anniversary.  

Djokovic frequently updates snippets of her family life on Instagram to her 702k followers and is currently in Paris, where the 2024 French Open is in its second week. 

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