Novak Djokovic is back on Centre Court, chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. But behind the precision serves and baseline brilliance, the real anchor in his life is his family. Through every twist and turn of his career, Djokovic has leaned on his closest supporters. His wife Jelena and their two children, Stefan and Tara, are always there, win or lose, rain or shine. And his son isn’t just clapping from the sidelines; he’s picking up the racket and stepping onto the court himself.

Djokovic married his high school sweetheart, Jelena Ristic, in July 2014. The ceremony took place on the stunning island of Sveti Stefan in Montenegro, just days after Djokovic won his second Wimbledon title. The couple had been together for nearly a decade before tying the knot. Just a few months later, they welcomed their first child, a son named Stefan, in October 2014.

In September 2017, their daughter Tara was born. Ever since, the Djokovic family has been a familiar sight at tournaments around the world. Whether it’s Melbourne, Paris, New York, or London, Jelena and the kids are often seen courtside, cheering Novak Djokovic on with quiet pride. The 38-year-old often calls his children “my angels” in interviews. And he means it. They’re not just spectators; they’re part of his journey, his reset button when the pressure mounts. Tara, his younger child, seems to have taken a shine to the arts. Her interest in music even inspired one of Djokovic’s most iconic on-court celebrations. Yes, that playful violin gesture after a win? That was a tribute to Tara.

But it’s Stefan who’s turning heads for another reason. Like father, like son—the 10-year-old is already showing signs of following in Novak’s footsteps. Just recently, the father-son duo teamed up on the lush green lawns of Wimbledon for a fun doubles match. They played against Spanish tennis player Carlos Gómez-Herrera and Djokovic’s coach, Dusan Vemic.

It was all smiles, but make no mistake, Stefan is serious about the sport. Still, Novak Djokovic has been careful not to pressure him into it. “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 onto the court. So if he wants to embark on this journey, I guess I have to embark with him too,” he said at a press conference.

And while the 24-time Grand Slam champion remains Stefan’s biggest coach and role model, there’s some friendly competition in the fan department.

Novak Djokovic’s son gets inspired by his father’s rivals

Can you imagine your son being inspired by your greatest rival? Novak Djokovic can! Apparently, Stefan models his forehand after Rafael Nadal, the same one that troubled Djokovic all the time on court. “He likes to do it…he likes to intimidate me by ending the swing like that. He knows I don’t like it,” Djokovic joked.

Stefan’s attention has also turned to Carlos Alcaraz, another one of Djokovic’s rivals. The admiration for Alcaraz runs deep. During this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters, Stefan was spotted courtside watching Alcaraz’s semi-final against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Djokovic had already been knocked out by Alejandro Tabilo, but his son stayed on to watch the Spanish star in action.

Speaking at the 2022 Madrid Open, Djokovic had said, “In the last month, for my son, \[Rafael] Nadal is no longer number one. Alcaraz is his favorite now. He really likes both. He imitates the way they play, Nadal’s forehand, and the emotion; it’s beautiful.”

As Novak Djokovic steps into his third-round clash at Wimbledon against fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanović, his biggest supporters will be watching from the stands. And while Stefan might cheer for others now and then, there’s no doubt who he’s rooting for the most. His dad is still the one making history. Follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.