Tennis superstar and devout Orthodox Christian Novak Djokovic celebrated Christmas with his family in Melbourne on Tuesday as he prepares for the 2025 Australian Open.
Although most Christians celebrate Christmas Day on December 25, many Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 7.
Djokovic, who is bidding for his 25th career Grand Slam (and incredibly, his 11th title at Melbourne Park when the tournament gets underway on Sunday), posted photos of his Christmas celebration on social media.
“Peace of God, Christ is born. Merry Christmas,” he captioned the images.
The first photo showed him and his wife Jelena in front of a Christmas tree. The second was similar, but included their two children, Stefan and Tara.
The reason why different Christian religions celebrate Christmas on different dates is due to the calendar they use.
Novak Djokovic (pictured with wife Jelena) celebrated Christmas with his family in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Like many other Orthodox Christians, Djokovic (pictured with his wife and children Stefan and Tara) celebrates Christmas Day on January 7.
Although the majority adopted the Gregorian calendar created by Pope Gregory in 1582, the Orthodox faithful chose to continue with the less precise Julian calendar.
The couple met in high school in Serbia, first playing tennis together before beginning to date in the early 2000s.
Their romance blossomed despite Djokovic launching his professional career while Jelena moved to Italy to study luxury brand management at Bocconi University in Milan.
Jelena once recalled: “It was almost like science fiction that we got together. I was a student barely making ends meet and he was a very young tennis player who also had no money to spend on expensive trips.
“At that time, airplanes were totally out of our reach. We designed and devised these plans: how to find each other, how to make our relationship work.”
After graduating, the couple settled in Monte Carlo, where Jelena attended the International University of Monaco to pursue her master’s degree.
Their relationship grew stronger throughout Djokovic’s career after he won his first Grand Slam at the age of 18 at the Australian Open in 2008.
After dating for several years, the couple tied the knot in 2014 at the Aman Sveti Stefan Resort in Montenegro, when Jelena was pregnant with their first child.
Their son Stefan was born in October 2014 and their daughter Tara in September 2017.
Djokovic said: “Win or lose, she is always there. The family is always there. When I come home, I am not a tennis player anymore. I am a father and a husband,” he said years ago.
‘The Joker’ will be bidding to win his 25th Grand Slam title – and his 11th Australian Open crown – when the tournament gets underway on Sunday.
Djokovic now has tennis great Andy Murray (pictured together) as his coach after announcing the sensational appointment last November.
“I think that is the kind of balance that allows me to play well. Since I got married and became a father, I haven’t lost many matches and I have won many tournaments. I suggest all players get married, have children and enjoy it.”
Tennis great Andy Murray shocked the tennis world in November last year when he announced he would coach Djokovic in one of the most sensational appointments in the history of the sport.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, 37, who retired from the game in August 2024 after a glittering 19-year career, is part of his long-time rival’s training squad for the Australian Open.
The two were photographed on the practice court on Tuesday as Djokovic chases his 11th major title in Australia.
The Serbian began his season last week in Brisbane with a loss to Reilly Opelka. The 37-year-old will find out his first-round opponent in Melbourne on Thursday when the draw is made at 14:30 local time (01:30 GMT).
