Novak Djokovic has always been known to take pride in his roots and cultural heritage. He has now reaffirmed his deep connection with Montenegro.
Speaking to the national daily Vijesti, the 24-time Grand Slam champion spoke about his family's ancestory being traced back to Montenegro and the deep bond that he shares with the country.
He was quick to turn to his children, Stefan and Tara, to explain his love for the country, saying the two were named after the Montenegrin town of Sveti Stefan and the Tara river, respectively. He also shared his love for other geographagical landmarks from the country, including the Montenegrin Sea.
"Well, we named two children after Montenegro - Stefan after Sveti Stefan, Tara after the Tara River," Novak Djokovic said. "There are many beautiful connections."
"I spent my entire childhood here, mostly because we have a family and family connection with Montenegro, but also because the Montenegrin sea is the closest and most beautiful sea for all of us who came from Serbia," he added.
Djokovic did not stop at that point, further speaking about his grandparents and other ancestors' travels from different Montenegrin towns to their eventual settlement in Belgrade, Serbia, where he was born.
"My connection with Montenegro extends to several branches," Novak Djokovic said.
"Of course, my roots are from here, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, from Čevo they went down to Jasenovo Polje, Nikšić, and then went to Kosovska Mitrovica, then to Belgrade. I am very proud of my roots," he added.
Novak Djokovic sets eyes on successful return at Qatar Open
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Novak Djokovic was last seen in action at the 2025 Australian Open last month. He made the quarterfinals at the tournament with big wins over the likes of Jiri Lehecka and Carlos Alcaraz before being forced to pull out of the tournament with an injury.
The Serb has since been in recovery and has his eyes set on a return to competition during the Middl East swing, set to begin with the Qatar Open next week.
Djokovic will be joined by the likes of Australian Open champion and World No. 1 Jannik Sinnner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex De Minaur and Daniil Medvedev at the star-studded ATP 500 event.
The Serb has enjoyed success in Doha in the past, having lifted the title twice back in 2016 and 2017 and will be keen on replicating the result this year as well.
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