How Did Novak Djokovic Meet His Wife, Jelena? She Was His Friend's GF Who Attended Their Match

Novak Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic has the sweetest love story. Ever since the couple got married, Jelena never missed a single match of her husband. In fact, she is the one who cheers the loudest. As Novak Djokovic reached the finals of the Australian Open 2026 Men's Singles, fans are eager to know more about his personal life. Let's know how the Serbian tennis player met his wife, Jelena Djokovic.

How did Novak Djokovic meet his wife, Jelena Djokovic? 

Novak Djokovic has always believed that his biggest supporter is his wife, Jelena. Whether he is winning or losing, she is always there. He admitted that was the kind of balance that allowed him to play well. It is the reason that ever since he got married and became a father, he has never lost a single match. While Novak is head-over-heels-in-love with Jelena, their first meeting wasn't a pleasant one, as Jelena was his friend's girlfriend. Once, Djokovic revealed that he first met his wife, Jelena, while she was dating his friend and rival tennis player during their teens. 

Novak Djokovic revealed that his first encounter with her was when he saw a romantic message for Jelena written on his friend's t-shirt. For the unversed, Jelena was also a tennis player in her teens, but her path never crossed with Novak. He first heard about her when she was dating his wife's friend, who was in the same tennis club as his. They played in a regional tennis league and won that match. He was quoted as saying:

"I believe in destiny for sure. She used to play tennis but we never met through tennis while she was playing it, but she dated one tennis player that is a friend of mine from early days. It was funny, because the first time I heard about her was when that friend, who was in the same tennis club as me, played a match in the regional tennis league and we won, an important match."

Recalling the moment when he had seen Jelena, Novak revealed that his friend had taken off his jersey, and underneath it, he had worn a white shirt, on which it was written, 'Jelena, I love you. This is for you.' That's when he wondered who was Jelena. He said:

"He took out his jersey and underneath the jersey he had a white shirt written, ‘Jelena, I love you. This is for you’. And we were like, ‘Oh my god, that’s so lame, why would you do that?’ And then, ‘Who is this Jelena?’ And it was her."

Novak Djokovic shared how he became friends with Jelena Djokovic after the match

Novak Djokovic further revealed that they met shortly after the incident, as they had the same friend circles for about four to five years. He revealed that Jelena was friends with his best friend, with whom he went to school. So, they worked at the same company, but they began dating when Novak moved to live in Monte Carlo. He revealed that she was the only serious relationship he had. Novak further clarified that he didn't snatch Jelena from his friend. He added: 

"Just to make it clear, please, don’t put me on the spot here! She went to study in Italy and then we started dating, so she is basically the only serious, like long serious relationship I’ve ever had. I had obviously some few months relationships here and there. She’s truly the love of my life."

Who is Novak Djokovic's wife, Jelena Djokovic?

Jelena Djokovic was born in 1986 to Miomir and Vera Ristic. She also has an older sister, who is her best friend. However, while she was growing up, she had spent a lot of time with her grandparents in Ljig, Serbia. Once in an Instagram post, Jelena recalled her favourite memory of her childhood as her grandmother would bake doughnuts for them and would bring them while they would swim in a public swimming pool. She revealed that they used to get so hungry that they would eat the whole box in a second. Jelena moved to Italy at Bocconi University in Milan for studying luxury brand management.  

It is worth mentioning that Novak and Jelena studied in the same Serbian high school that had a sports academy. They started dating in the early 2000s. Once Jelena recalled their first date, which was at a sports bar in Monte Carlo. She called it super awkward as they were students with barely any money to spend on lavish trips. Jelena revealed that they would find ways to meet each other and make their relationship work. However, after graduation, Jelena and Novak moved in together in Monte Carlo, where she completed her master's degree from the International University of Monaco. After dating each other, they got married in 2014 at the Aman Sveti Stefan Resort in Montenegro. At that time, Jelena was pregnant with their first child.

What do you think about Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic's beautiful love story? 

Next Read: Inside Tennis Legend, Novak Djokovic And His Wife, Jelena's Combined Net Worth

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