Novak Djokovic Revealed Wife, Jelena Dated His Tennis Rival, 'We Are Both Very Uncomfortable...'

Novak Djokovic detailed how one of his tennis rivals proposed to Jelena after winning a match, which left him baffled.

Novak Djokovic’s latest Grand Slam campaign ended in a painful moment after his earliest exit. In a gruelling first-round clash, Novak lost to Argentine Mariano Navone. The 39-year-old struggled to serve towards the end due to a back issue and was in tears after Navone sealed the victory. This is the first time that Novak lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2006.

Novak Djokovic is the undisputed king of tennis ever since he made his debut. Amid his trailblazing career is the woman who believed in him right from the beginning. It is none other than his wife, Jelena. But do you know that Jelena once dated Novak’s rival, with whom he is still friends?

Novak Djokovic recalled being ‘baffled’ when his rival proposed to Jelena

Once Novak revealed a surprising story about his first meeting with Jelena and shared that she initially dated his tennis rival. Speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored, Novak recalled that the first time he heard about Jelena was when his tennis rival mentioned her. Novak was left ‘baffled’ when his rival went on to propose to Jelena after winning a regional tennis league.

Further in the interview, Novak revealed that he and his friend were in the same club, and that it was after winning the match that he heard about Jelena from his friend. Recalling how the friend proposed to Jelena, Novak shared:

“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.”

After some time, Jelena showed up again and again because they had the same group of friends. But when Novak moved to Monte Carlo, he started dating Jelena. Djokovic said he and the player she once dated are still friends. When asked whether he ever spoke about Jelena to his friend, he said, ‘No, we actually never spoke about it. We are both very uncomfortable.’

Novak Djokovic married Jelena right after his second Wimbledon championship

After dating for more than eight years, Novak decided to propose to Jelena. The tennis player had arranged for a hot-air balloon with a banner that read, 'Will you marry me?' Initially, Jelena was confused by the setup. But when he dropped to one knee to propose to her, it was magical. The couple got married in less than a week after Novak’s second Wimbledon championship in 2014. They welcomed their first child, Stefan Djokovic, on October 22, 2014. Three years later, the couple welcomed their second child, Tara Djokovic, in September 2017. 

Jelena has watched Novak win at Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open, among many other major tournaments. She has been his constant supporter and biggest cheerleader. Once, Novak spoke about Jelena and revealed how she was the only serious relationship he ever had in his life. Elaborating on the same, Novak said:

“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.”

Did you know about the funny anecdote from Novak Djokovic and Jelena’s dating life?

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