Novak Djokovic secured the Australian Open title last year with a straight-sets victory over Rafael Nadal in the final. Reflecting on that win, the Serbian feels it was his best performance in a Grand Slam final.
“In terms of performance and quality of tennis, last year’s final against Rafa was probably the best one I had,” Djokovic said ahead of this year’s Australian Open.
“Rafa was in great form, he hadn’t dropped a set the entire tournament and the way I played was just amazing.
“I was very proud and obviously I’ve been trying to remember that and trying to relive those memories.
“It’s one of those days where everything just works perfectly. You’re in the flow and you’re just playing your best.”
Djokovic will now defend his crown against Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the 2020 Australian Open final.
The 32-year-old is regularly cheered on at his matches by his wife Jelena – but who is she and what do we know about her?
Who is Novak Djokovic’s wife?
Jelena Djokovic (née Ristic) started dating the tennis star in 2005, two years after he turned pro, and they have been together ever since.
They reportedly met in school and were engaged in September 2013 before getting married less than a year later.
After the announcement, Djokovic said: “I’m very happy. I love. I am loved.
“That’s the nicest thing you can experience as a human in my eyes.”
Their wedding took place at the Aman Sveti Stefan resort in Montenegro.
Wife Jelena is the director of the Novak Djokovic Charity Foundation which aims to enhance the Serbian education system to improve the lives of children.
Through the foundation, the couple have completed 37 projects and have 55 volunteers.
Jelena studied at the International University of Monaco and at Bocconi University.
How many children do they have?
Djokovic and his wife have two children together.
Their first child, Stefan, was born in October 2014.
Three years later, Djokovic confirmed he was a father again, when the pair announced the arrival of their daughter Tara in September 2017.
“I Have Been in a Meeting with Novak and Federer” – Rafael Nadal
World No.2 Rafael Nadal is trying to stay connected with the sport as much as possible while he is confined to his home. The Spaniard revealed that he is in constant touch with his arch-rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, to think about how to bring the sport back in action.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the tennis world unlike ever before. Consequently, there are a lot of issues to look upon during the global crisis. From how to resume the tour despite travel restrictions, to the financial crisis affecting the lower-ranked players. Hence, the ‘Big 3’ are banding together to try to resolve the problems due to the paralysis of the game.
“I try to be aware of what is happening” – Rafael Nadal
During a conversation with Spanish Basketball player Pau Gasol, Nadal revealed that he is trying to be aware of everything during the quarantine. He is also keeping in touch with his academy, where many children are quarantined without their families.
“Basically I’m going to sleep much later. There are times that I find it hard to fall asleep, this is the truth. I try to do two sessions of fixed work, because that way, among all, it takes up a little more time,” Nadal told Gasol.
“Then I try to be very aware of what is happening. For example, now we are here. I have been in a meeting before with Novak, Federer, and the ATP president talking about things. Also with my Foundation and looking for solutions. The Academy itself is a great concern because there are many people who work there and who are suffering,” he added.
Tennis is a global sport that requires a lot of travel week after week. With travel restrictions in place across the globe, tennis is still some way off from resuming. It could very well be one of the last sports to return to normalcy after the coronavirus subsides. We hope the ‘Big Three’, along with all the governing bodies of tennis and the other stakeholders of the sport unite and get through these tough times together.
