THROWBACK: Novak Djokovic’s wife makes marriage confession after John McEnroe TV accusation
Novak Djokovic has already sealed legendary status in the world of tennis, having become the most successful tennis player in the history of the men’s game
The Serb has amassed 24 Grand Slam titles during his glittering career; a tally that surpasses Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer.
He was also the first man to hold all four major titles at once, but there is clearly room for more.
The 38-year-old is bidding to win his eighth Wimbledon title, which would see him equal Federer as the most successful men’s player at the Championships.
Such an incredible career has unsurprisingly been a huge boost to his bank balance, while it’s also come with plenty of off-court rumours.
Novak Djokovic net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Djokovic crossed the $150m (£110m) mark for prize money after his win at Wimbledon in 2021. In June 2023, victory at the French Open pushed his career on-court earnings past $170m (£125m).
Despite falling short in the Wimbledon final last year, his total on-court prize money had still grown to top $184m (£125m).
He is now expected to become the first ever player to surpass $200m (£147m) in career prize money by the end of the year – a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon.
But while his numerous tournament victories have done wonders for earning power, Djokovic’s overall net worth is much higher, with estimates placing his worth at around ($240m) £176.5m.
Indeed, a string of high-profile sponsorship deals have done wonders for helping to top up his already healthy income.
He was initially snapped up as a partner by Adidas, before being dropped by the company in 2009 in favour of Andy Murray.
Three years later, he signed a five-year deal with Uniqlo reportedly worth €8m a year. In that time, he arguably became the global face of tennis, and his success on the court brought more commercial success, amid deals with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Seiko, and Head.
In 2017, he moved from Uniqlo to Lacoste, a partnership that still going strong, with Djokovic serving as the brand’s global ambassador and figure head for its athletic apparel division.
Between June 2017 and June 2018, he earned $24m (£17.6m) from salary and endorsements. That income jumped to $50m (£36m) between 2018 and 2019, followed by $45m (£33m) the following year.
Novak Djokovic’s wife opens up on marriage after McEnroe comments
Djokovic shares his substantial personal wealth with high school sweetheart Jelena.
After getting together in 2005, the pair tied the knot nine years later at the Aman Sveti Stefan Resort, a luxury hotel resort in Montenegro.
Jelena, 38, is a prominent businesswoman in her own right, and is the global CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which she co-founded with her husband.
She has previously often been seen courtside cheering her husband on at major tournaments.
However, her absence at Wimbledon in 2019, when she missed her husband’s games, sparked rumours about the state of their marriage.
Despite looking to clarify the matter, explaining it was down to Tara being too young to attend, speculation remained rife.
BBC pundit John McEnroe even started a rumour, suggesting a dip in the Serbian star’s form was due to “off-court issues with the family”.
McEnroe added: “The person that comes to mind immediately with Novak is not a tennis player, it’s actually a golfer: Tiger Woods. Woods had the issues with his wife and then he seemed to go completely off the rails.
“He’s never been even close to being the same player. So we’re starting to say: ‘Wait a minute, is this possible with him, Djokovic?'”
Djokovic hit back, saying: “He’s very well known for his kind of bold comments and not really caring too much about being politically correct but saying whatever is on his mind.
“He has his right to say the things he wants to say. I don’t necessarily need to agree with that. But it’s his right.”
Jelena has candidly spoken about the media scrutiny that come with being married to a high-profile athlete, confessing to Vesti-Online: “When you are young, the spotlight and attention certainly feel comfortable. At first, the experience does not alarm you because it can bring you some difficulties. We look at public figures and think that kind of publicity is OK.
“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 try to resist all these expectations to always be myself and for Novak to be able to be himself. That is probably why I am being criticised by the public ‘why didn’t I wear makeup’ or ‘why wasn’t I always wearing heels’.”
In a 2020 interview on In Depth with Graham Besinger, Jelena added she had been “judged” for not fitting into the stereotype of an athlete’s wife.
“I think this is going to be brave to say to millions of people watching,” she said. “But I was trying to compete with him because I felt like, ‘I’m also deserving and I’m not getting enough credit for what I’m doing because I’m doing it more in the backstage’. My ego was there battling also, an internal battle because I always felt like I can express so much more but I have to do it quietly.”
“Basically, as a woman, you are not allowed to speak up a lot, you are not allowed to show up a lot,” she expanded. “There is this stereotype about who is the wife of an athlete, how she should look like, how she should behave, and I don’t fit very well into that stereotype. I am glad I don’t because I don’t need to. But it was hard because I was judged because of it.”
