After winning his 100th title in Geneva in May, Novak Djokovic continues to amaze the public with his performances. At 38 years old, the tennis player seems to have secured his future by investing in several companies and turning more and more towards the health and wellness sector.
Born into a family of former skiers who had gone back to catering, Novak Djokovic started playing tennis at the age of five in Kopaonik, a village in Serbia. At the age of 12, when war broke out in his native country, he joined the tennis academy of Nikola Pilić in Munich, his parents being convinced of the young boy’s ambition to become a great player. In 2003, aged 16, he became a professional.
100 ATP titles in single
Two years later, after reaching the semi-final of the Australian Open in junior, he is ranked 188th without even having reached the majority. At the age of 18, he passes 78th and shines in the Roland-Garros tournament.
The following years, Novak Djokovic shines on the court and becomes number 1 in 2011. In total, he spent 428 weeks on pole position in the world rankings. To date, the athlete has won 100 ATP titles in singles with records of 24 Grand Slam tournaments, 7 Masters and 40 Masters 1000, as well as Olympic gold, the 2010 Davis Cup and the 2020 ATP Cup.
The player continues to face the world’s greatest tennis players with determination and passion. However, those who celebrated their 38th birthday this year know that they are closer to the end of their career than at the beginning. “Honestly, I was also thinking of my own career at the time of Rafa’s speech,” he told reporters before the French Open on 26 May, referring to the tribute dedicated to Rafael Nadal, who had said goodbye to tennis the day before. “I would like to have that kind of moment one day when I can say goodbye to the tennis world,” continued Novak Djokovic, even though no date is planned.
An after career already well thought out
Novak Djokovic quickly seduced the sponsors and became an image for several brands. Lacoste, Asics, Hublot, Head… The player has grown in range as and when, obtaining contracts with big names of textile and luxury.
And his career after seems already found everything. “Well-being and health are my greatest passions, after tennis, sport and education,” he told Sportune. In 2024, he became a global ambassador and wellness expert for the airline Qatar Airways and a global wellness advisor for the hotel firm Aman.
The Serb is also an ambassador for Waterdrop, a healthy drinks brand in which he has invested. In 2022, he turned to the Danish company QuantBioRes, which specializes in finding a treatment – not a vaccine – to combat COVID-19. The athlete owns 40% of the company’s capital, while his wife has almost as much. Novak Djokovic was noticed during the health crisis by refusing to get vaccinated, which had led him to be deprived of eight tournaments.
“I am healthy, taking care of my body and health. And as a professional athlete, I am extremely attentive to what I consume and I regularly submit to all kinds of analyses. I know exactly what’s going on, so I didn’t feel the need to do it. The important thing for me is also not to be a threat to anyone. It was not because I had antibodies,” he explained in an interview with GQ earlier this year.
According to Forbes magazine, the owner of residences in Marbella, Miami, Belgrade, New York or Monte-Carlo has a total fortune of 472 million euros in 2023, 159 of them thanks to his tournament earnings. The following year, Novak Djokovic reportedly won $37.2 million or €32.8 million.
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Featured photo : © Aman
