Cover MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup following victory in his Men's Singles Final match against Rafael Nadal of Spain during day 14 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup following victory in his Men's Singles Final match against Rafael Nadal of Spain during day 14 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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At this point, top seed Novak Djokovic could let his feats speak for him, but there is more to this tennis player that a lot of people may not know yet. We have listed some of them below.
World's top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic just had his second-round win over twice Grand Slam runner-up Kevin Anderson— a win that he described as "almost flawless".
Through the years, Djokovic's incredible feats have spoken for him, but what a lot of people do not know are the small things like the number of languages he speaks, his marriage to a childhood friend, and more.
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1. He is multi-lingual
Above INDIAN WELLS, CA - MARCH 11: Novak Djokovic of Serbia addresses the crowd gathered at the unveiling of a mural in his likeness during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 11, 2016 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
INDIAN WELLS, CA - MARCH 11: Novak Djokovic of Serbia addresses the crowd gathered at the unveiling of a mural in his likeness during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 11, 2016 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Djokovic should consider being a diplomat or a Mister International contestant. The sports icon is fluent in his mother tongue, Serbian, but he can also speak other languages such as English, German, French, and Italian. If you think that is too much, he also knows some phrases in Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Portuguese.
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2. He first held a tennis racket at 4
Above Novak Djokovic at age four (Photo: Fanpop)
Novak Djokovic at age four (Photo: Fanpop)
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Djokovic first gripped a tennis racket when he was just four a four-year-old boy. The racket was brought by his father Srdjan Djokovic.
3. He is married to his childhood friend
Above Novak Djokovic with his wife Jelena (Photo: Au Sports)
Novak Djokovic with his wife Jelena (Photo: Au Sports)
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It looks like Djokovic is not only lucky in his career. The tennis star is married to his childhood friend Jelena Ristic. The two met in high school and sealed the deal on 10 July 2014. As of this writing, the couple continues to celebrate their marriage with a baby boy named Stefan.
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4. Built a foundation for disabled children
Above Photo: Tennis World USA
Photo: Tennis World USA
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In 2007, Djokovic launched the Novak Djokovic Foundation which seeks to help disadvantaged children by providing financial support to kids who lost their parents in Serbia.
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5. He has a peculiar pre-game ritual
Above Novak Djokovic eats grass off the court after beating Roger Federer in the Mens Singles Final on day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 12, 2015. See PA Story TENNIS Wimbledon. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the AELTC. Still image use only - no moving images to emulate broadcast.
Novak Djokovic eats grass off the court after beating Roger Federer in the Mens Singles Final on day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 12, 2015. See PA Story TENNIS Wimbledon. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. No commercial use without prior written consent of the AELTC. Still image use only - no moving images to emulate broadcast.
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When Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in an unprecedented fifth-set tiebreaker at the Wimbledon 2019, the first thing he did was to lean down, pluck grass, and....eat them. When BBC asked Djokovic about his "ritual," the tennis player said that he wanted to taste grass because the groundskeepers have done a "great job."
"It tastes very, very good this year," he said, laughing. "I don't know what the groundskeepers have done, but they've done a great job. It's a little tradition obviously."
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Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.
When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.
