Tennis star Novak Djokovic is a proud father of two kids, Stefan and Tara, whom he shares with his wife, Jelena Djokovic.
The high school sweethearts got married in 2014 and welcomed their son, Stefan, in October of that same year. Their daughter Tara was born in September 2017.
Novak, who is currently competing in the US Open, often praises his children — whom he calls “my angels” — in interviews and tributes on Instagram. While his kids surely learn a lot from Novak, he learns a lot from them too.
“I have the privilege to be a father to wonderful kids, so I try to take that childish energy and fuel my inner child because I tend to forget my inner child a lot because everything is so serious,” the 24-time Grand Slam champ said at a tennis press conference in 2022.
Both Stefan and Tara can often be seen alongside their mom in the crowd at tennis tournaments, cheering their father on from the stands. Most recently, Novak’s little ones attended the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they watched their dad win a gold medal for Serbia.
Here’s everything to know about Novak’s two kids, Stefan and Tara.
Novak and Jelena welcomed their first child, son Stefan, on Oct. 22, 2014. The tennis player announced the exciting news on X, three months after he wed his wife that July.
“Stefan, our baby angel was born! I am so proud of my beautiful wife Jelena! Thank you so much for your love and support. We love you all!!!” he wrote at the time.
Despite his young age, Stefan has already demonstrated his athletic abilities — and with a father like Novak, it’s no surprise his sport of choice is tennis. The tennis star, though, has made it clear that his son’s decision to play wasn’t forced.
“I’m not forcing him to play tennis. I never did that, not a single day have I told him that he has to do this,” Novak said at the 2022 press conference. “It’s really only his pure desire to step on the court. So if he wants to embark on this journey, I guess I have to embark with him too.”
He added, “He’s doing well so far, he’s really in love with the sport.”
Novak has been seen hitting the ball back and forth with Stefan on the courts. The budding athlete was even spotted practicing with his father at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, ahead of Novak nabbing his seventh Wimbledon title.
Novak has also revealed the technical advice he shares with Stefan to further improve his game. The competitive father, however, noted that his son has picked up Rafael Nadal’s forehand, playfully annoying Novak by mimicking his rival’s swing.
“He likes to do that,” Novak said of Stefan’s forehand during an interview with the ATP Tour. “He likes to intimidate me on the court with finishing the swing here. He knows I don’t like that particularly.”
Novak continued, “I’m trying to teach him to finish the hand here, the swing, over the shoulder. He does that, but he does this as well. Whenever he does that he always laughs because he knows. We have these kind of funny moments on the court.”
Novak and Jelena welcomed their second child, daughter Tara, on Sept. 2, 2017. The tennis player announced the exciting news on his Instagram, welcoming his “little girl” to their home.
“Jelena and I have been hand in hand on their journey and as a man, I have to send my love and admiration to every single women out there for going through so much pain and effort to create life, to bring life and raise a human being … what a blessing to have an opportunity to be a parent!” he wrote alongside a photo featuring his baby’s tiny hand.
He added, “Jelena and Tara are my angels, and Stefan is a proud big brother who wants to take part in baby chores.”
Over the years, Tara — like her older brother, Stefan — has been seen cheering her dad on in the stands. Unlike Stefan, though, she doesn’t have an interest in playing tennis at the moment.
“She is not into tennis at all,” Novak said of Tara during a press conference at the 2023 Australian Open. “She’s into ballet and gymnastics. You know, she’s a really cute girl. She keeps me grounded and humble, and she spins me around every single day.”
He added, “Whenever she looks at me, I’m disarmed. Her look is the most beautiful look I’ve ever experienced in my life. I miss them.”
Although Tara is often seen at Novak’s matches, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s rooting for him all the time. When speaking with BBC Sport, the tennis champion joked that his daughter is a fan of Russian player Andrey Rublev, whom Novak faced in his Wimbledon quarterfinal match in July 2023.
“She likes him,” Novak said with a smile. “She likes him for his headband and for his energy and intensity.” He added, “That’s the number one choice of my daughter, yes.”
In July 2024, Tara made headlines when she was spotted reading a book during one of her dad’s Wimbledon matches.
“I was very happy when I saw that, and sad at the same time. My tennis doesn’t make her excited so much … she needs to grab a book to entertain herself,” Novak joked during an interview with the Tennis Channel.
