"I suffer criticism for not wearing make-up or why I'm not in heels" - When Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena lamented about lack of privacy in their lives
Novak Djokovic's wife, Jelena, once expressed her frustration over their lack of privacy. She also mentioned facing criticism for not always wearing makeup or high heels.
Djokovic and Jelena have been married for almost 10 years. They have known each other since childhood, having attended the same high school in their native Serbia. The couple dated for eight years before getting engaged in Monte Carlo in September 2013.
The couple tied the knot in July 2014 in the seaside town of Sveti Stefan, Montenegro. They have been happily together ever since, raising two children: an eight-year-old son Stefan and a six-year-old daughter Tara.
In a 2020 exclusive interview with Vesti, Jelena Djokovic shared her thoughts on the constant spotlight. She explained that while it feels great at first, one starts to miss the "anonymity" over time.
"It is certain that when you are young, spotlights and attention are pleasant because the experience does not alarm you at the first moment that it may bring some difficulties," she said.
"We look at public figures and think that kind of publicity is fine. But, as time goes by, you miss even anonymity, you miss the privacy of being able to do what you want at any time, in any edition," she added.
The 38-year-old continued:
"I try to resist all these given forms, to be myself, and Novak himself. Sometimes that's why I suffer criticism for not wearing make-up or why I'm not always in heels, but I decided that between the way I see and love myself, and how the public expects it, to choose not to disappoint who I am."
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena: "There is stereotype about who is the wife of an athlete, I don't fit well into that"
In a 2020 interview with Graham Bensinger, Novak Djokovic's wife, Jelena, discussed the stereotypes surrounding an athlete's wife. She revealed that she never really fit into this expected persona and was often judged because of it.
"Basically, as a woman, you are not allowed to speak up a lot, you are not allowed to show up a lot," Jelena said. "There is this stereotype about who is the wife of an athlete, how she should look like, how she should behave, and I don't fit very well into that stereotype. I am glad I don't because I don't need to. But it was hard because I was judged because of it."
Jelena also spoke about how she initially tried to conform to the stereotype by involving herself in things that didn't genuinely interest her. However, she eventually made a vow to demonstrate that she could be much more than just a wife.
"I was trying to conform at first because I was meant to be interested in fashion, I was meant to be interested in looks, you know, different kinds of things and that's all fun, but it just doesn't inspire me," Jelena Djokovic said.
"So, I had to invent my place and that was a competition like, 'I'm gonna prove you know.' I'm gonna prove something that we can be at other things than just a girlfriend or just a wife. Always I am the wife, but now I'm proudly wearing that title rather than feeling, 'Well, here we go. Wife! Okay, let me sit and smile.' So, it's a great transformation for me," she continued.