‘We’re Crying..’- 3-Year-Old Distressing Tale Reveals How Novak Djokovic’s Tennis Re-Birth Was Heavily Influenced by Wife Jelena and Kids

Published 09/20/2023, 9:26 AM EDT

Five years ago, Novak Djokovic would never have dreamt of winning 24 Grand Slam titles leaving behind the records of his arch-rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He had quit and made the announcement loud and clear to his close ones. But it was his wife Jelena Djokovic and his kids Tara and Stefan who did not give up on him. Though it seems too fairytale-like to be true, Djokovic’s family has played a huge role in making him the GOAT.

Djokovic was dealing with a severe elbow injury in 2018. This hindered his performance on the court, and eventually, after one point, made him want to quit the sport. However, the video of how his wife and kids helped him get back to the sport. The video has resurfaced reminding us about their contribution.

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How did Jelena, Tara, and Stefan help Novak Djokovic come back to the court?

Jelena and Novak Djokovic have been long-term sweethearts. Jelena has seen the ordeals that Djokovic went through in strife to become one of the greatest tennis players ever. Therefore, when her husband decided to hang his racquet back in 2018, she knew what it would take him to get back to the sport.

In her 2020 interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger, she talked about the chain of events. She stated, “He said to me that he’s quitting, and that’s the truth.” Djokovic had just faced a disheartening defeat in Miami. Jelena narrated, “He just gathered all of us and said, ‘You know guys, I’m done…’ We are crying and we’re like what are you doing? This is not the time.”

Following that announcement, the family went on a holiday. Djokovic was done with tennis but Jelena wasn’t. She stated, “I kept taking kids with me to play tennis. And then he showed up third-fourth day.” He saw his family having the time of their lives on the court.

She stated, “Luckily, he saw how much we were having fun… And he was like, “Can I have a racquet, please?” Jelena jokingly retorted, “No, you are not playing anymore. You quit tennis.”

Then Stefan said, “Okay Daddy, it’s your turn now!” She added, “He took a few balls and started serving and he was like this is not feeling bad.” Following that, he came every day with his family to play tennis.

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On the final day of their holiday, Djokovic told Jelena that he would call his coach and go back to the sport again. This all seems so surreal at the moment, knowing that the tennis realm could have missed Djokovic setting the unprecedented record of 24 Grand Slam titles.

🤩 pic.twitter.com/yLFQJ8kDYB
— Tennis Puneet 🎾 📚 (@TennisPuneet) September 19, 2023

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Now Djokovic has only one star left to add to his shoulders. He has yet to win an Olympic gold medal. For that, he has got a tough challenge from his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, who has eyes on the same goal.

All in all, who do you think can win the Olympics? Let us know your pick in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, who specializes in off-court topics and has a particular focus on the legendary ‘Queen of the Court’, Serena Williams. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Shivali has authored numerous articles covering varied topics concerning the 23-time Grand Slam champion, including her personal life, career, and more. In addition to her work on Serena Williams, Shivali is also a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires the four-time Major winner, particularly for her advocacy for mental health.

Edited by:

Amal Joyce

‘We’re Crying..’- 3-Year-Old Distressing Tale Reveals How Novak Djokovic’s Tennis Re-Birth Was Heavily Influenced by Wife Jelena and Kids

How did Jelena, Tara, and Stefan help Novak Djokovic come back to the court?

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