Novak Djokovic has done it! He rose victorious against Taylor Fritz with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, and will proceed to the semifinals of the 2025 US Open. While this is a major win for the Serbian and the tennis community, the US fans are pretty disappointed because Taylor Fritz was the last male American player standing in the event. And with the loss, the American drought continues for the 22nd consecutive year. The last Grand Slam win for the USA was by Andy Roddick in 2003. But for Djokovic, this win had a special meaning. 

With a win over Fritz, Djokovic became the oldest athlete in the Open Era to win all four men’s singles semifinals at Grand Slam events in a single season. Of course, doing so at the age of 38 years and 94 days is a commendable feat. But what makes this even more special is his daughter, Tara’s, eighth birthday. During the on-court interview, the Serbian said, “It’s 20 minutes to midnight. Here on 2nd September, it’s my daughter’s birthday. So, this is a big present for her.” 

And the dance at the end? It was a surprise present for her as well. Djokovic continued, “She’s gonna rate me tomorrow, how was the dance, because she taught me how to dance. It’s a K-Pop Demon Hunters. Soda Pop is the name of the song. Obviously, it’s a big thing globally for teenagers and kids. But I didn’t know about it before my daughter told a few months ago about it. So, we’re at home, doing different choreographies and this is one of them. So, hopefully I’ll make her smile when she wakes up tomorrow morning.”

But this surprise came at a sacrifice. After winning the Round of 16, Djokovic confessed that he wouldn’t be able to make it to his daughter’s birthday party. Needless to say, little Tara wasn’t really happy about it. Djokovic had already predicted that something like this might happen. And still, it was heartbreaking for him. He simply decided to take to the sidelines regarding the topic and asked the media persons not to remind him of that. 

But the sacrifices don’t end there. Being an active and integral part of the tennis community, things are pretty hectic for Djokovic. And that also keeps him away from home a lot. So, how does that make him feel?

Staying consistent in tennis demands a heavy toll from Novak Djokovic

Djokovic resides in Belgrade, Serbia. But with tennis having the longest season on the entire globe, he has to stay away from home for the majority of the time. In an interview with La Nacion, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said, “I traveled for 25 or 30 years, and for 15 or 20 years, I didn’t spend much time in Serbia. I spent little time with my wife and children in Belgrade; I had only recently started doing so, and I missed that.” 

But what makes this worse is the hurt that this separation from his home brings him. Novak Djokovic continued, “I missed being with my people, speaking my own language, seeing my parents who live here, and all my family and friends. Here I feel a sense of belonging.” And now, he missed his daughter’s eighth birthday, upsetting himself and young Tara. 

But in return, he’ll get to face off against Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. And a win over the world number 2 can push his chances of getting a 25th Grand Slam win to 50%. But can Djokovic actually defeat Alcaraz? We’ll find that out soon.  

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