Published 17:20 IST, May 15th 2020
Novak Djokovic's wife reveals World No. 1 nearly quit tennis after devastating 2018 loss
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena revealed the World No. 1 almost quit tennis after facing defeat in Miami and then losing in the third round at Indian Wells in 2018
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Novak Djokovic wife Jelena Djokovic recently dropped a bomb by saying that the World No. 1 almost quit tennis after losing matches in 2018. While speaking on the In Depth with Graham Besinger, show Novak Djokovic wife recalled his toughest period and how Novak Djokovic managed to get back on the court.
Currently, the Serbian is staying home due to COVID-19 and spending time with his family. Apart from family time, the 32-year-old also decided to fight against coronavirus by making substantial donations. The Novak Djokovic donation to fight against COVID-19 came in the wake of the havoc wreaked by coronavirus in Serbia and Spain.
Novak Djokovic's 2018 form
In 2017, Djokovic underwent surgery for a long-term elbow injury and was back on the court after a six-month layoff. His comeback ended early with a fourth-round exit at the 2018 Australian Open. Following the fourth-round loss, Djokovic decided to once again undergo treatment for his injury after which he rushed his comeback to the tour and faced loses at Indiana Wells and Miami. The consecutive losses led to Djokovic breaking down in front of his wife and he reportedly told his family that he was considering quitting.
Novak Djokovic wife Jelena opens up about Serbian's retirement plan
Opening the lid on the entire episode, Novak Djokovic wife Jelena said that after his back-to-back defeats in Miami and Indian Wells in 2018 he said to her that he’s quitting tennis. Following those heavy losses, he gathered his family and told them he was done, leaving everyone shocked.
Giving more insight into the incident, Novak Djokovic wife said he asked Eduardo (his manager) to speak with his sponsors as he wanted to clear things with them. She recalled about Djokovic telling them that he did not know if he was stopping for six months, a year, or forever but he wanted to let them know that if they felt like staying around, they could and if they didn't, he would be fine either way. Jelena added that he wanted to make sure everybody was okay with his decision.
Novak Djokovic wife recalls how he fell in love with the game once again
During the interview, Jelena said she didn’t feel like it was time for Djokovic to quit the game, even admitting that the pair cried over the decision. She said that when the family went on holiday, Novak watched her and his children play tennis and after her encouragement, Novak Djokovic picked up the racquet and once again and found the love of the game while playing with his family.
Following the entire episode, Djokovic returned and reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, before winning both Wimbledon and the US Open to finish the season as World No. 1. He backed that up with two Grand Slams (the Australian Open and Wimbledon) in 2019 and also won the only Grand Slam so far in 2020.
(IMAGE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC/ INSTAGRAM)
Updated 17:20 IST, May 15th 2020