In the summer, media rumors emerged that Novak Djokovic (in the photo) plans to move to the land of the Hellenes. It seemed surreal, but by September, the 24-time Grand Slam champion had already attended the Davis Cup in Athens, visited Olympic facilities, and trained with Aryna Sabalenka.
Moved to Glyfada
When asked by a journalist whether he would stay in Greece, the Serbian replied that he “doesn’t know”: “I’m just enjoying the time with my family and will be here for the tournament.” So what is happening? Why does Djokovic need to move?
Rumor has it that Djokovic moved to Glyfada - an elite suburb of Athens, and has already enrolled his two children, Tara and Stefan, in a private British school and found courts for their training.
The move was not spontaneous - prior to this, the Serbian met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis twice over the summer. They presumably discussed the “golden visa” - a five-year residence permit that Greece grants to the whole family in exchange for purchasing real estate starting from 250,000 euros.
In general, Djokovic had long lived in Monaco, like many athletes, due to zero taxes, but it is said that he left the principality in 2020 and moved to Marbella, in the elite Sierra Blanca area. A couple of years ago, the Serbian called Andalusia “one of the most beautiful places on earth”: “The climate here is perfect, the people are nice, the food is good.” Why would he even leave a tax paradise?
The move coincided with the pandemic, and most likely, the Serbian wanted to be closer to family, as two of his brothers live in Marbella. And then, most likely, he just stayed there. In recent years, Djokovic has been increasing the breaks between tournaments and spending more time away from traveling - probably also because he wants to spend more time with loved ones.
“I cry every time I leave home. Sometimes I wish things were different, but again, I am very grateful for everything life has given me. My difficulties are nothing compared to what other people go through. I try to remember that, but I still miss my family very much. I am always looking for that balance with my wife - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” Djokovic said at the beginning of 2023.
The Question of Faith and Religion
But things did not go very smoothly in Spain. Three years ago, the Serbian began a major renovation of a mansion without coordinating it with the city authorities, for which he received a fine of ten thousand euros.
Could this have been a turning point? Unlikely, but perhaps not everything was to his liking in Marbella and Spain.
Another point is that about 90% of the population in Greece practices Orthodoxy. And there are many holy places in Greece - for example, Mount Athos or the Meteora monastery complex. At the beginning of his career, Djokovic was very religious and even received the highest religious award from the Serbian Orthodox Church - the Order of Saint Sava, for charity and contributions to the church in Kosovo and Metohija.
In 2020, Djokovic's mother said that he believes: God (and the cross from the Greek monastery) helped him defeat Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final: “Novak believes in God; he considers himself chosen. He wears a cross from the Greek monastery of Hilandar, which brings him peace and happiness. He also prays in the morning and evening.”
However, Djokovic tries yoga, which is not approved by Orthodoxy, visits Buddhist temples, and consults shamans. Although, perhaps, with the move to Greece, he will return to religion.
Supported Protests Against the Serbian Government
It is assumed that there are actually political reasons behind this. Last November, Djokovic supported student protests that began due to the roof collapse at the train station in Novi Sad.
After that, at the Australian Open, Djokovic dedicated one of his victories to a student who was injured during the protests - she ended up in intensive care after being hit by a car.
At a press conference, the Serbian stated: “As always, I call for peace and understanding. I am against violence in any form, but it seems that there is only more and more of it on the streets.”
In general, Novak did not support the government, which had loved him for many years before these events. For example, last summer, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that he planned to build a museum in Serbia in his honor: “We started discussions about building a museum. There is a museum in Mallorca dedicated to Rafael Nadal. We want to show what Djokovic has done for our country, in accordance with his merits, and at the same time attract tourists.”
The museum was planned to be built by Expo 2027. But now, it seems, these plans are in question.
Did Not Move Alone - Took the Tournament with Him
Djokovic was also connected to Serbia by the desire to have a tournament there.
The Serbian family held the clay ATP 250 Serbia Open (the first main tour tournament in the country) in Belgrade for four consecutive years - from 2009 to 2012. But then it disappeared from the calendar and reappeared only in 2021. By the way, in that same 2021, the Serbian held the Belgrade Open on the same courts under a one-year license.
In 2023, Djokovic wanted to obtain a license to hold an ATP 500. Therefore, for one season, the tournament moved to Banja Luka while the tennis center was being prepared to meet the standards of the 500 category. In the end, the upgrade did not happen, and the Serbia Open fell out of the calendar altogether. But Djokovic was still looking for a way to have his tournament. Last year, during the season, it was announced that the Belgrade Open (now on hard court) would take place in Belgrade instead of the tournament in Gijón.
Apparently, this time the license was long-term, so it was expected that it would be played there again this year. But now, when opening the tournament's website, a banner appears:
“Despite tremendous dedication and significant efforts, the conditions necessary to hold the tournament in the planned format and within the established deadlines were not met, and therefore it was decided to cancel the tournament this year.” And the ATP website states that instead, the Hellenic Championship will take place.
It turns out that Djokovic is moving the tournament once again. Now to Athens. Let's see how long it lasts.
