3 unusual purchases made by Novak Djokovic ft. £1,000/kg donkey cheese
Novak Djokovic's tennis career is nothing short of magical. Now in the middle of his 381st week as the World No. 1, the Serb has won 93 ATP singles titles, including 22 Grand Slams.
Djokovic is also one of the richest tennis players, with his net worth in 2023 estimated to be around $230 million. He currently resides in his luxury mansion in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Besides that, the 35-year-old also owns numerous real estate properties around the world.
The Serbian is also a huge fan of luxury cars and owns automobiles from brands like Aston Martin, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, and BMW, to name a few.
However, not all of his purchases are as 'mainstream' as the ones mentioned above. On that note, let's take a look at three unusual or surprising purchases made by Djokovic:
#1 Donkey cheese
It has been reported that Novak Djokovic allegedly bought a large supply of donkey cheese a few years ago.
Initial reports of the bizarre purchase first came to light in December 2012. Reports at the time stated that the Serb had purchased the whole farm where the most expensive donkey cheese was processed.
At the time, Djokovic said:
"I did not expect this story was going to get so much attention, and everywhere in the world too. It is not completely true that we bought the whole supply of donkey cheese, even though it is the first time in my life that I heard that donkey cheese exists."
Donkey cheese (or pule) is also known as the most expensive cheese in the world as it's made out of the milk of Balkan donkeys. Moreover, the cheese is only produced at the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve in Serbia, which makes the product highly rare. The cheese is sold for an estimated £1,000 per kilogram.
The 35-year-old addressed the reports about the purchase later, saying:
"There is a certain farm in Serbia that produces this donkey cheese and, as I understand it, it is the only farm in the world, which is very interesting. It is a very expensive one and it is good quality. I have heard that they milk donkeys but I was not sure if that was possible. It is such an interesting story."
#2 Biotech company
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Novak Djokovic refused to take the coronavirus vaccine. As a result, he was unable to participate in the Australian Open and the US Open in 2022, among other tournaments.
Last month, the World No. 1 made it clear that he had 'no regrets' about missing the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open this year for the same reason. However, he also added that he hopes he'll be allowed in the United States of America before the US Open.
Interestingly, in the early months of 2022, the 22-time Grand Slam champion purchased an 80% stake in Danish biotech firm QuantBioRes. The biotech company is said to be working on a non-vaccine coronavirus treatment.
#3 The Serbia Open
The license for the Serbia Open was purchased by Novak Djokovic’s family in 2008 from the organizers of the Dutch Open, following which his uncle, Goran, was named the tournament director.
Djokovic's family also received support from the state government and corporate ventures for venue and funding. After the 2012 edition of the tournament, Goran Djokovic resigned from the post of director.
Consequently, the tournament was later replaced by the newly established Power Horse Cup in Düsseldorf. However, in 2021, the Serbia Open returned to the ATP Tour, replacing the Hungarian Open, which used to take place in Budapest.
Novak's younger brother, Djordje Djokovic, was named the new chairman of the Serbia Open and the ATP 250 event took place under a lease agreement between license owner Ion Tiriac and new event organizer, Tara 2016s.
Due to ongoing renovations at the Novak Tennis Center, the tournament has been shifted to Banja Luka for 2023 and as a result, the future of the Serbia Open is still unclear. Nevertheless, the 22-time Grand Slam champion and his family are trying their best to get the license. In Dubai, he said about the matter:
"We are now looking into two different alternatives to get the licence. Either to apply with the ATP for the new licence – which is less likely because there are many tournaments as it is – or to negotiate a lease on another licence."