Famous tennis sensation Novak Djokovic is making headlines for defeating Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open 2026. He is just one step away from adding the 11th Australian Open Trophy to his cabinet. He will now face Carlos Alcaraz in the final on February 1, 2026.
However, apart from his iconic victory, he achieved another record. Novak Djokovic became the oldest man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open final. While fans hail his victory, let’s learn more about his wife and how she dated her rival tennis player before they started dating.
Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena Djokovic dated her rival tennis player and friend
Novak Djokovic is 38 years old, but the Serbian star was only 18 when he fell in love with his now wife, Jelena. Although the couple have two children and are married, few people know that Novak’s wife Jelena dated his friend and rival tennis player. For those who don’t know him, Jelena started her journey as a tennis player, but she soon left the game. However, Djokovic once revealed that he first met his wife, Jelena, while she was dating his friend and rival tennis player during their teenage years.
Novak Djokovic met Jelena while attending her then-boyfriend and his friend’s tennis match
Novak Djokovic spoke about the same thing while speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored. He revealed that Jelena was dating his friend. His first meeting with her happened when he saw a romantic message for Jelena written on his friend’s t-shirt. Novak revealed that he believed in destiny, as he never met Jelena while she was playing tennis. He reportedly said:
“I believe in destiny, for sure. She played tennis, but we never met through tennis while she was playing, but she was dating a tennis player who is a lifelong friend of mine. It was funny, because the first time I heard about her was when this friend, who was in the same tennis club as me, played a match in the regional tennis league and we won, an important match.”
Remembering the moment, Novak revealed that he saw his father on his trip and that under the jersey he had a white shirt that read: “Jelena, I love you.” This is for you.’ That’s when he wondered who Jelena was. He said:
“He took out his jersey and under 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.”
Novak Djokovic further revealed that they met soon after the incident as they had the same friend circles for around four to five years. He revealed that Jelena was friends with his best friend, who he went to school with. So they had the same business, but they started dating when he went to live in Monte Carlo. He revealed that she was the only serious relationship he was in.
Novak Djokovic is still friends with the man Jelena dated
In the same interview, Djokovic revealed that he was still friends with the player she dated, but they never discussed the topic because it is off-limits. He said he had moved on in his life and had a family, but discussing the relationship was very uncomfortable for them. He said:
“Actually, I talked to him. Really. He’s fine. He’s gone, he has his family. No, actually, we’ve never talked about it. We’re both very uncomfortable. We’re still friends, so that’s good.”
It is worth mentioning that Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic are couple goals. Jelena never missed a single match of Novak and always supported the loudest for him.
Next reading: Meet Novak Djokovic’s Wife Jelena Djokovic, Businesswoman, Humanitarian, Childhood Love
