Who Is Jelena Djokovic? She’s Been Married to World-Renowned Tennis Pro Novak Djokovic Since 2014
They met when they were very young.
Published Jan. 22 2025, 1:30 p.m. ET
Serbian sensation Novak Djokovic is a tennis phenom. With 24 Grand Slam titles to his name dating back to 2008, numerous ATP Masters Titles, and Olympic medals under his belt, among other accolades, he's one of the most respected men to ever professionally hold a racket.
And as is usually the case with high-profile sports and public figures, fans of the athlete are interested in his personal life. Many folks were surprised to discover that he's been married for quite some time.
Novak Djokovic has been married since 2014.
Novak and Jelena Ristic were high school sweethearts who started dating in 2005 and tied the knot in 2014; they've been married ever since. She took his last name upon exchanging their vows, and currently pursues humanitarian endeavors, tending to the needs of "disadvantaged kids in Serbia."
She can often be seen cheering her husband on in his matches and the couple made headlines during the 2024 Paris Olympic games. Upon earning a Gold medal against Carlos Alcaraz, he immediately rushed towards the stands to embrace Jelena and kiss her.
In a post-game interview, relishing victory he said, "I don't know what to say, I'm still in shock. I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold. At age 37, I finally did it."
Jelena and Novak both attended the same high school in Belgrade, Serbia. Prior to that, Novak started perfecting his craft at a young age. He attended the Pilic tennis academy in Germany when he was 12 years old after Jelena Gencic spotted his potential.
During his time at the school, his skills flourished. Novak ended up joining international competition and turning pro at just 15 years old.
The tennis phenon stated that one of the only regrets he ever had was never attending university. Presumably, this is what inspired him to establish the Novak Djokovic Foundation, with Jelena, which helps "underprivileged Serbian children achieve an education."
Jelena is the co-founder and global CEO of the charity, which says on its website that she attained degrees from Bocconi and the International University of Monaco. The foundation also offers a variety of courses aimed at empowering individuals with parenting advice and fostering healthy relationships between one's children, and siblings among each other.
Jelena and Novak have a son and daughter together: Stefan and Tara, who were born in 2014 and 2017 respectively. She often chronicles the foundation's work on her Instagram account, and details her family's travels, along with Novak's athletic accolades on her Instagram account, where she's accrued 820,000 followers.
In a post uploaded towards the end of 2024, Jelena detailed some of the foundation's accomplishments. She writes that support from donors have helped them to build "73 preschools" and "provide quality education" to numerous children and families.
She capped off the post by writing: "Together, we can continue to inspire change and make an even greater impact."