Tennis icon Novak Djokovic’s devoted wife Jelena has remained his unwavering supporter since their teenage romance blossomed during their school years.
The mother of his children has weathered the unique challenges that come with being wed to one of the sport’s greatest champions, consistently backing him through his record-breaking pursuits, including his current campaign at the U.S. Open.
The Serbian superstar secured his spot in the tournament’s third round and is set to clash with Cameron Norrie on Friday at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic holds a commanding 6-0 head-to-head advantage over the 35 year old British player, having already bested him twice this season during the Round of 16 at Roland Garros and the semifinals at Geneva.
JUST IN: Serena Williams turns heads in Kim Kardashian’s NikeSKIMS sport
With his latest victory, Djokovic shattered Roger Federer’s record (74) for most third-round appearances at Grand Slam events. Never one to miss celebrating her husband’s milestones, Jelena took to social media to share this historic moment with tennis fans worldwide.
Jelena’s initial social media post featured TennisTV’s data visualization highlighting how her husband had surpassed both Federer and Rafael Nadal in Grand Slam tournament appearances. She accompanied the image with an oversized gray heart emblazoned with “Proud of You” in her Instagram stories.
Her second post highlighted another remarkable statistic from her husband’s illustrious career: his perfect record of never falling before the third round at the US Open. Across 19 US Open campaigns, Djokovic has claimed the championship trophy four times (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023).
Jelena has been a pillar of support for her husband, notably when she wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “I run with my wolf” during Djokovic’s highly publicized COVID-19 vaccine controversy and at the 2021 US Open.
The cryptic “wolf” reference initially left social media users scratching their heads until Djokovic clarified its meaning at Wimbledon that same year.
Djokovic fondly recalled his childhood encounters with wolves in the forests near his home, saying: “I’ve seen some wolves when I was a kid roaming the forests of the mountain where I grew up.”
He admitted that these encounters were frightening but also deepened his connection with wolves. “That encounter left me frightened [but] even more connected with wolves. There is a connection, I personally feel it.”
He affectionately referred to himself as Jelena’s wolf, hinting at the trials they’ve faced together. “She runs with the wolf,” Djokovic acknowledged, adding that “it can be very stressful to run with the wolf.
“I know that she doesn’t enjoy it at all times. It’s kind of living on the edge with the wolf.”
Despite the challenges, Djokovic expressed gratitude for his wife’s unwavering support, declaring, “I love her; she’s my great support.”
In an interview with Vesti Online, Jelena opened up about the downsides of being married to one of tennis’s legends. “We look at public figures and think that kind of publicity is okay,” she said.
“But as time goes on, you lack anonymity, you lack the privacy to be able to do whatever you like at any time, in any situation. I always try to resist all these expectations to be myself and for Novak to be himself.”
