Why Novak Djokovic celebrated Christmas with his family in Melbourne – on January 7

  • Novak Djokovic celebrated Christmas on January 7
  • The Serbian superstar is a devout Orthodox Christian
  • Djokovic is Down Under for the Australian Open

Tennis superstar and devout Orthodox Christian Novak Djokovic celebrated Christmas with his family in Melbourne on Tuesday as he prepares for the 2025 Australian Open.

While most Christians celebrate Christmas Day on December 25, many Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 7.

Djokovic, who is looking to claim his 25th career Grand Slam – and incredibly his 11th title at Melbourne Park when the tournament starts on Sunday – posted photos of his Christmas celebrations on social media.

‘Peace of God, Christ is born! Merry Christmas,” he captioned the photos.

In the first shot, he and his wife Jelena were sitting in front of a Christmas tree. The second was similar but included his two children, Stefan and Tara.

The reason different Christian religions celebrate Christmas on different dates comes down to the calendar they use.

Novak Djokovic (pictured with his wife Jelena) celebrated Christmas with his family in Melbourne on Tuesday

Like many other Orthodox Christians, Djokovic (pictured with his wife and children Stefan and Tara) celebrates Christmas Day on January 7.

While most adopted the Gregorian calendar established by Pope Gregory in 1582, Orthodox believers chose to adhere to the less accurate Julian calendar.

The couple met in high school in Serbia, where they first played tennis together before starting dating in the early 2000s.

Their romance blossomed despite Djokovic launching his professional career while Jelena moved to Italy to study luxury brand management at Milan’s Bocconi University.

Jelena once recalled, “The get-together was almost science fiction. I was a student who could barely make ends meet, and he was a very young tennis player who also had no money left for expensive trips.

‘Airplanes were something completely beyond our reach at the time. We’ve been thinking and coming up with these plans: how we can meet, how we can make our relationship work.”

After graduating, the couple settled together in Monte Carlo, where Jelena attended the International University of Monaco for her master’s degree.

Their relationship went from strength to strength during Djokovic’s career after he won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2008 at the age of 18.

After several years of dating, the couple married in 2014 at the Aman Sveti Stefan Resort in Montenegro, when Jelena was pregnant with their first child.

Their son Stefan was born in October 2014 and daughter Tara in September 2017.

Djokovic said: “Whether I win or lose, she is always there. Family is always there. When I go back home, I won’t be a tennis player anymore. I am a father and a husband,” he said years ago.

‘The Joker’ will attempt to win his 25th Grand Slam title – and 11th Australian Open crown – when the tournament begins on Sunday

Djokovic now has tennis great Andy Murray (pictured together) as his coach after announcing the sensational appointment last November

‘That’s a kind of balance that I think allows me to play so well. Since I got married and became a father, I haven’t lost many matches, but won many tournaments. I advise every player: ‘Get married, have children, let’s enjoy this.’

Tennis great Andy Murray shocked the tennis world last November when he announced he would coach Djokovic in one of the most sensational appointments in the sport’s history.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray, 37, who retired from playing in August 2024 after a glittering 19-year career, is part of his old rival’s coaching setup for the Australian Open.

The two were photographed on the practice court on Tuesday as Djokovic chased his record-extending 11th major down under.

The Serbian started his season in Brisbane last week with a defeat against Reilly Opelka. The 37-year-old will discover his opponent in the first round on Thursday in Melbourne, when the draw takes place at 2.30pm local time (01.30am GMT).

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