Novak Djokovic married his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic on July 10, 2014, in Montenegro, just four days after winning his second Wimbledon title. The couple held their civil wedding at the Aman Sveti Stefan resort on the Adriatic coast, while a private church ceremony followed on July 12. Jelena was pregnant with their first child at the time. The wedding came after years of a relationship that began when the two met as teenagers in Belgrade and later stayed together despite long periods apart. Their son Stefan was born three months later, followed by daughter Tara in 2017.
Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic married days after his Wimbledon win
The timing made July 2014 especially memorable for Novak Djokovic. On July 6, he defeated Roger Federer in a five-set Wimbledon final and lifted his second title at the tournament. During his celebration, Djokovic dedicated the win to his future wife and their unborn child.“I would like to dedicate it to my future wife and our future baby,” Djokovic said after the victory. “I’m going to become a father soon and I’m still preparing for that. It’s a great joy in life.”Four days later, he and Jelena exchanged vows at Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro. The civil ceremony was followed by a church wedding on July 12 at the Church of Saint Stephen, with the second ceremony kept private for close family.Jelena wore an ivory wedding dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Djokovic later spoke about seeing her for the first time as his bride, describing the moment in emotional terms.“Seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress, smiling and walking towards me… She looked like an angel,” Djokovic told Hello! magazine. “I was focused on her, and her smile and our baby. It really was a perfect moment.”The wedding came as the couple prepared for a major change in their lives. Their son Stefan was born in October 2014, only a few months after they became husband and wife.
Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic’s relationship began in high school
The story of Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic goes back much further than their wedding day. They first met during their high school years in Belgrade and began their relationship in 2005.Their early years were not always easy. Jelena studied at Bocconi University in Milan while Djokovic was building his tennis career, leaving them to manage a long-distance relationship. Jelena later explained how difficult travel was for them when they were younger.“I was a student barely getting by, and he was a very young tennis player who also had no money to spare on expensive trips,” she has explained. “Airplanes were, at the time, something utterly out of our reach. We contrived and devised these plans how to meet, how to make our relationship work.”Djokovic proposed to Jelena in September 2013, after the couple had spent years together. Their engagement was publicly confirmed that month, with Djokovic sharing his happiness about calling Jelena his future wife.By the time they married, their relationship had already lasted for nearly a decade. Djokovic later told People, “She’s the only serious relationship I ever had. She’s been my girlfriend, fiancée and my wife for more than 20 years, and I’m eternally grateful for her love, her support, the relationship that has evolved over the years.”Jelena has also remained closely involved in the Novak Djokovic Foundation, where she serves as global CEO. The foundation focuses on early childhood education and preschool development in Serbia. The couple have since raised two children, Stefan and Tara, while Jelena has continued to support Novak both personally and through their shared work.