Novak Djokovic has revealed that he and his wife Jelena regularly butt heads about the best way to parent their kids, with the tennis great admitting he is definitely the strict one. Djokovic, 37, has two kids – Stefan, 9, and Tara, 7 – with childhood sweetheart Jelena, whom he married in 2014.
Speaking at the Davis Cup this week the 24-time grand slam champion opened up about his role within the family and how the rigid rules he enforces can create tension with his wife. “My children still don’t have a cell phone, my wife and I argue (about it),” Djokovic told Blic on Monday.
The kids complain, ‘At school, everyone has one except us.’ It’s not easy and this is reflected on other levels as well. If everyone does something, the herd behaves like this, you have to follow them. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. This is where I think we differ from others because we are stubborn and active.”
Djokovic says he also pushes his children to play sport and while he admits he would ideally like them to fall in love with playing tennis, he doesn’t mind what sport they choose as long as they are active. “Out of the two parents, I’m the one who is responsible for their activities, sports, healthy lifestyle,” Djokovic told the Tennis Channel.
“I keep reminding them of how important it is to be active and do sport, whether it’s tennis, whatever it is. There are a lot of families and a lot of children from other players who are coming in so for them it’s also a great experience. It’s a great camp! It’s fun because I get to have quality time with them and my wife as well and then they still have friends on the side.
Novak Djokovic says he’s forming a little band with his kids
Apart from taking up sports, Djokovic says he has also put a focus on his children learning music. It comes as this year the Serb has regularly celebrated his victories by using his racket as a violin, pulling it up to his chin to play. He revealed the celebration is a nod to his children who he previously said he is forming his own ‘little band with’.
“Tara plays the violin, Stefan loves to play the guitar, and I play the saxophone,” he said in July in an interview with Vogue Adria. “Sometimes our jams last for hours, and it’s my favourite part of the day or trip.
Yes, I admit – we take our instruments on trips. Maybe my little band was responsible for my victory at the US Open and the twenty-fourth Grand Slam I won.”
Novak Djokovic’s wife delivers warning to Jannik Sinner
Djokovic’s wife Jelena has warned Jannik Sinner that she ‘will not give in’ after the World No.1 recruited the Serb’s former fitness coach Marco Panichi just months after he parted ways with the 24-time Grand Slam champion. As well as Panichi joining Sinner’s team, physiotherapist Ulises Badio – who worked with Djokovic for more than five years – has also agreed to join the Italian’s camp.
Djokovic was understood to be close with the pair but has overseen a change-up in backroom staff in recent years, with his former coach Goran Ivanisevic also moving on at the beginning of the year. While Sinner brought on the pair after splitting with his previous fitness trainer and physio because of their roles in his doping case.
Sinner announced the arrivals of Panichi and Badio to his team on Instagram, posting with them in a selfie captioned: “Welcome to the team Marco and Ulises”. In response, Jelena jokingly commented: “I will not give in!!!” Her tongue-in-cheek remark was accompanied by several laughing emojis and it is safe to say she won’t be making the switch to Sinner’s camp.
