Novak Djokovic is one of the most well-known athletes in the world. The Serbian gained popularity for his exemplary skills with a racket on the court. Djokovic is one of the pillars of tennis, carrying the burden of the sport. With such fame comes scrutiny, and Novak’s every action has been dissected with a fine toothcomb.
One aspect that has always fascinated tennis fans is that of his love life. As with any other athlete, there have been numerous rumors and speculations over the years. A lot of these conjectures point to Novak’s alleged infidelity toward his wife, Jelena Djokovic. Today we take a closer look at world number one’s personal life and his past relationships.
Novak Djokovic has been linked with several women
Lidija Popovic is a pop singer turned DJ. Popovic, popularly known as the ‘Jennifer Lopez of Serbia,’ was Novak’s first girlfriend. She believes that she is Novak’s soulmate, even though the player has been married to Jelena for years. Lidija acknowledged that Djokovic is indeed happily married to Jelena.
The DJ believed that Novak was her true love, and their breakup was devastating for her. It broke her heart to see Novak start dating Jelena. “He was my big love. We were very young, just teenagers,” she said.
Djokovic has been seen with Tanya Maher, a wellness guru who owns a cafe by the name of Tanya Cafe in Chelsea. Novak was also spotted with Serbian pop star Natasa Bekvalac. The rumors of a secret relationship with Natasa began in 2011 and continued for a few years. Both were even seen in Ibiza, although separately, around the same time, adding fuel to the fire.
Deepika Padukone, a Bollywood actress, has also been linked with the tennis ace. Padukone and Djokovic were seen leaving a popular celebrity club together. Reports suggest that both of them got into the same car before it drove off. Popovic suggested that her former boyfriend would be happy with a woman like Deepika, who has a career.
The major controversy
Novak was going through a lean patch in his career in 2017 when rumors of differences between Novak and Jelena started making the rounds. Many believed that his marriage troubles were affecting his performance.
Former tennis legend John McEnroe weighed in on this issue, but he complicated things by comparing Djokovic to Tiger Woods. The pro golfer fell from grace when the news of his infidelity broke.
“Woods had the issues with his wife and then he seemed to go completely off the rails and has never been even close to being the same player. So we’re starting to say: ‘Wait a minute, is this possible with him, Djokovic?'” said McEnroe (via The Sun).
John’s comments did not sit well with Djokovic and his family. Novak firmly rejected what McEnroe was insinuating, even though he did not disclose his marital problems.
There have been several rumors about Novak Djokovic, but nothing has ever been confirmed. Novak married Jelena in 2014 and has two children, Stefan and Tara. Despite all the speculation, they are going as strongly as ever.