{"id":428826,"date":"2026-02-16T15:14:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/428826\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:14:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:14:15","slug":"novak-djokovic-makes-admission-after-uprooting-family-following-controversy-in-serbia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/428826\/","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic makes admission after uprooting family following controversy in Serbia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Novak Djokovic has revealed he already identifies as Greek following his family’s relocation from Belgrade to Athens last year.<\/p>\n

The 24-time Grand Slam champion departed Serbia with his wife Jelena and their children Stefan and Tara, settling in the Mediterranean nation where he has reportedly become a member of a local tennis club.<\/p>\n

When questioned whether he considers himself a Greek man, the 38-year-old responded: “I do, I do.<\/p>\n

“I still need to learn Greek. I’m not very good with the language; it’s not easy.”<\/p>\n

What began as a temporary arrangement has evolved into permanent plans, with Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris confirming the world number three intends to remain long-term after their recent meeting.<\/p>\n

The Serbian star returned to Athens following his Australian Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz earlier this month.<\/p>\n

The tennis legend’s abrupt departure from his homeland came amid allegations that he had become a target of the Serbian government.<\/p>\n

\"Novak<\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic has revealed he already identifies as Greek following his family’s relocation from Belgrade to Athens last year<\/p>\n

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GETTY<\/p>\n

These claims emerged after Djokovic publicly backed student-led demonstrations opposing President Aleksandar Vucic, which erupted in late 2024.<\/p>\n

The protests were sparked by the deadly collapse of a railway station in Novi Sad, a tragedy that claimed 16 lives.<\/p>\n

Though the 38-year-old has refrained from directly criticising President Vucic, his visible support for the demonstrators appeared to create tensions.<\/p>\n

\"TennisFive facts for tennis fans | GETTY\/PA<\/p>\n

Prior to his relocation, reports surfaced that Djokovic sought to establish residency through Greece’s Golden Visa scheme, which provides non-EU nationals with residence rights in exchange for investment in the country.<\/p>\n

Djokovic expressed his solidarity with the protesters through social media, writing: “As someone who deeply believes in the power of youth and their desire for a better future, I believe it’s important that their voices are heard.<\/p>\n

“Serbia has enormous potential, and its educated youth is its greatest strength.<\/p>\n

“What we all need is understanding and respect. With you, Novak.”<\/p>\n

The tennis icon also paid tribute to a student who was struck by a vehicle during one of the demonstrations, dedicating a victory at the 2025 Australian Open to the injured protester.<\/p>\n

His support extended beyond the tennis court when he attended a Serbian basketball match sporting a cap emblazoned with the slogan “Students are Champions”.<\/p>\n

\"Novak<\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic has spent some time in Milan since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Australian Open<\/p>\n

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GETTY<\/p>\n

Djokovic has spoken warmly about the deep connections between his homeland and his adopted country, stating in late 2025: “There are many historical, religious, social, and cultural ties between Greece and Serbia that are a big reason why I am here.<\/p>\n

“Also, the weather and the food are incredible, and the coast is one of the most beautiful.<\/p>\n

“I like the lifestyle, and I really feel that the Greek and Serbian people are like brothers. <\/p>\n

“That is the biggest reason.”<\/p>\n

Shortly after settling in Athens, the Serbian claimed his 101st career ATP Tour title at the Hellenic Championships, defeating Lorenzo Musetti in a gruelling three-hour final.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on lifting the trophy, Djokovic said: “Like at home. I love it!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic has revealed he already identifies as Greek following his family’s relocation from Belgrade to Athens last…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":428827,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[50,6766,2331,217,101,118,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-428826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-news","tag-novak-djokovic","tag-sgg","tag-sport","tag-sports","tag-tennis","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=428826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/428826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/428827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=428826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=428826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=428826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}