Tennis ace Novak Djokovic might not be clear on when he will retire – but he’s geared up for a lavish life once he leaves the sport behind.
The Serbian superstar has won a record 22 Grand Slam titles and has his eyes set on winning a few more, despite approaching the end of his illustrious career. Djokovic holds the record for most weeks ranked as world No.1 and shows no real signs of slowing down, having finally claimed a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.
The 37-year-old finished runner-up at Wimbledon and reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open to remain a thorn in the side of younger talents, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Winning his first major in 2008, Djokovic’s 16-year stint at the top of the sport has earned him a fortune, with Forbes claiming that Djokovic raked in £28.8million ($38.4m) last year.
His prize money hauls and huge sponsorship deals have allowed Djokovic to build an enviable property portfolio, stretching from New York City to Monte Carlo and Marbella. The tennis icon has a pick of places to spend his retirement but his father Srdjan expects his son will return to Serbia, with Belgrade becoming the hub for his family life.
“When Novak finishes his tennis career, he will live in his city Belgrade, his country Serbia,” Srdjan Djokovic said. “I think there is no greater satisfaction, pride and success than your child spreading the glory of his people and his country all over the world.”
The Olympic champion snapped up a three-bedroom penthouse in New Belgrade, overlooking Lake Pavlova, for a cool £505k ($675k) back in 2018. But this is far from the priciest property in his portfolio. The tennis superstar splurged a whopping £7.5million ($10m) on two swanky apartments in New York’s SoHo district in 2017.
Djokovic began his globe-trotting lifestyle at a young age and set up base in Monte Carlo back in 2008, where he lived with his wife Jelena after winning his first Grand Slam. Returning to Belgrade would not be the first time that the family have relocated, having left France for Marbella in 2020 after buying a £7.5million ($10m) mansion.
While he could splash out on a more lavish Belgrade pad, Djokovic’s heart is seemingly set on making the city his main base. The Djokovic clan are dedicated to boosting Belgrade’s tourist appeal, having opened the Novak Tennis Center in 2009, which he recently returned to the city. His parents run the Novak 1 cafe and restaurant, and the former world No.1 also owns the five-star Square Nine hotel in the Serbian capital.
Djokovic’s pride in representing Serbia was on full display at the Paris Olympics, where he finally bagged a long-awaited gold medal to complete his long list of achievements. He was overcome with emotion after clinching the win and has been vocal about his desire to compete for his country for as long as he can.
“Words are superfluous, how much it means to me to play for Serbia. Actions speak,” Djokovic said. “I think my dedication says it all.I don’t know yet how long I will play tennis, but as long as I play, playing for Serbia will be my priority. I will do my best to be available”.
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