Novak Djokovic has been enjoying some time away from tennis after winning his final tournament of 2025 in Athens earlier this month, but he has broken off his holiday to make a very public appearance at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Djokovic posted an image of him spending some time on holiday at the Amanyara resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands earlier this week, as he promoted one of the brands that are on his list of sponsors.
Now he has made another appearance for one of his backers, after he was an A-list leader of a wellness session conducted on the track where the penultimate race of the Formula 1 season will take place this weekend.
Djokovic signed a deal to work with Qatar Airlines on this day a year ago and his presence at the sporting event sponsored by the airline was part of that deal.
“It is my great pleasure and honour to partner with Qatar Airways, a company I admire for many years not just for its impeccable service to its customers and employees, but also because it recognises the importance of wellbeing and longevity, which is a passion of mine,” said Djokovic after signing the deal last November.
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“I believe that together we will be able to add more value and quality to the award-winning experience for the customers worldwide.
“As I continue to travel the world as a professional athlete, with my family and for business, I am grateful to have Qatar Airways as my partner.”
Now Djokovic has added his A-list star power to the list of big names attending the Qatar Grand Prix, as he served up some memorable photographs as he led the wellness sessions.
The Serbian legend spoke about his passion for wellness and looking after his mental health at an ASICS event attended by Tennis365.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about mental strength is that if you lose your focus, you’re not present, and things start to go the wrong way for you,” said Djokovic.
“That’s fine, accept it, and then come back. How long you stay in that emotion is what differentiates you from others. We always think about what’s going to happen, are I going to win or not. You go back and forth, but what is important is how quickly you go back.
“For me, conscious breathing is probably the one ingredient that is the most important.”
Djokovic’s deal in Qatar is certain to be lucrative, but he confirmed in an interview with Piers Morgan earlier this month that he doesn’t sign up for deals just because the money is big.
“I have refused many big brands and huge salaries throughout my career because I cannot represent something I don’t believe in, and I have always tried to have a long-term vision,” said Djokovic.
“I can’t name brands, sorry. But at one point, it was probably the most famous drink in the world. It was a long time ago, but it was a very good deal.
“You know, we live in a very materialistic society these days. It’s nothing against you but I am not like that.
“I don’t want to give all the information about what I am worth and what my investments are, it’s none of their business. Why should I disclose that? For what reason? There are things that are disclosed like prize money and people know about or contracts, but other things, no.
“Money is important. It’s very important and it does bring security, no doubt about it. It’s one of a driving force in society today, you cannot neglect the importance of money.
“But if money is the only thing you are thinking about, in my experience as an athlete, for me it’s more of a meritocracy model – if I win a tournament I get rewarded with sponsorship deals.
“But it’s about the mentality and the brand you want to create around yourself. I don’t like to talk about this but I did refuse a lot of the big brands and big paycheques in my career, because I cannot represent something I do not believe in. I have always tried to play the long game.”