"Is it a commercial, is he crazy at 7am?" - Novak Djokovic & Jelena Djokovic share scary yet hilarious proposal story
Novak Djokovic married Jelena Djokovic on July 10, 2014. The two met at a high school in Serbia and dated each other for quite a few years before tying the knot.
In a recently released interview with American journalist Graham Bensinger, the couple can be seen narrating how Novak planned a grand proposal for Jelena. Although there was panic and awkwardness for a brief moment, it ended well and the tennis star was relieved that he was able to surprise her partner.
Here goes the 'almost' proposal-gone-wrong tale:
Novak: She thought that we're going hiking or something like that, but we went for a hot-air balloon ride and I arranged another hot-air balloon at some distance so that when we get closer to it, it rises and releases a huge banner sign that says, "Will you marry me?" The guy who was piloting the balloon was trying to detach the sign that was supposed to be released.
Jelena: When the pilot finally manages to unwrap it, he burns the balloon.
Novak: So there was panic. The balloon started going down, and she was like...
Jelena: Oh my God! There is a hole in the balloon.
Novak: I turned to the pilot and I was like, "Please, can you help me do something? We're missing an opportunity. The window is coming closer."
Jelena: And then the thing falls down and I'm reading it slowly and I'm like, "Is it a commercial, is he crazy at 7am, why would he want to put a commercial out? Oh my God." And he's already down on his knees.
Novak: She thought someone was doing a commercial banner. She keeps on telling me that she knows me so well that I can't surprise her. But I'm really really glad that I managed to surprise her that time when I needed to.
Novak and Jelena are now parents to two children — Stefan, who is seven years old, and Tara, who is about to turn five next month.
After CDC changes rules, Novak Djokovic could be allowed to play the US Open
Ever since Novak Djokovic was barred from playing at the Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status against COVID-19, the Serb has time and again set the record straight that he will not get the jab. A few days before Wimbledon kicked off, the US government announced fresh guidelines, making it compulsory for foreign travelers to show proof of double vaccination.
This has put Djokovic out of the entire US Open series. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the national public health agency of the United States, recently updated the rules. It suggests that vaccinated and unvaccinated people will be treated equally.
This news has given Djokovic and his fans a glimmer of hope that the 35-year-old could be allowed to enter the country and participate in the US Open.