Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic didn't serve up a win at the US Open amid recent health issues, but thanks to his cheering section—wife Jelena Djokovic and their two kids—he feels like a victor.
As Novak Djokovic recently discovered, sometimes the ball simply doesn't bounce your way.
Despite his No. 5 in the world ranking, the Serbian tennis player couldn't serve up a victory in the opening round of the US Open's men's singles draw, losing to Argentina's Mariano Navone, 25, Aug. 30.
"I didn't enjoy myself," the 24-time Grand Slam winner acknowledged to reporters, referencing the slew of ailments he enduring during the four-and-a-half-hour match.
"It's something that I've been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there," he explained. "Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end, and shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out."
Basically, there hasn't been a lot of love in the sport for Novak as of late.
"I've been dealing with it for many years now," he told reporters when forced to request a medical timeout ahead of his defeat at the Cincinnati Open Aug. 15. "It causes me a lot of problems, especially when there’s a lot of humidity and heat."
So, no, work hasn't been going so hot for the dad of two.
And, yet, despite his earliest exit in a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, one could argue the 39-year-old stays winning.
Having banked nearly $200 million in career prize money and netted partnerships with Hublot, Lacoste and Qatar Airways, the athlete—named a global strategic advisor for investment firm General Atlantic in June—is able to hold court in New York City, Monaco, Spain and Greece.
And until 2025, home court for he and wife Jelena Djokovic—they wed in Montenegro three months before welcoming son Stefan in October 2014—was a three-bedroom penthouse overlooking Lake Pavlova in their native Belgrade.
The pair had founded his eponymous foundation there, focused on early childhood education (Jelena serves as the global CEO), and built the 14-court Novak Tennis Center, while his parents Srdjan and Dijana served up the Novak 1 Cafe & Restaurant.
But in November, Novak confirmed the chatter that they'd decamped to Athens amid ongoing tensions between him and the Serbian government.
"It wasn't something I had planned for a long time," he explained to Greek outlet SDNA. "Actually, in the last two years, things have happened, decisions have changed in our lives, both privately and professionally. But that’s okay, that's how life is."
Having enrolled their kids (daughter Tara joined their team in September 2017) in nearby schools, "we are trying to adapt and find the best environment for them as well," Novak added. "Because that is the priority, how the children will grow up in the most beneficial environment for them for their psychological, physical, and emotional health. To be in an environment where we feel like we have more time as a family, privately."
