"They make my life on the tour easier" - Novak Djokovic grateful to be cheered on by wife Jelena and kids Stefan and Tara during record ATP Finals win
Novak Djokovic won a record sixth ATP Finals title on Sunday, defeating Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3 in the summit clash. The Serb, who was elated to close out his unusual season with an admirable victory, was accompanied by his wife Jelena and kids Stefan and Tara to cheer him on during the special season-ending tournament.
Speaking about having the family around after the stressful year he faced, Novak Djokovic said that having the trio was very special. He noted that their presence was not a frequent occurrence, so he tried to make the most of it.
“Extremely special for me. I'm very grateful to my wife and my children for coming. I don't get to have these moments on the tour with them so much, so I of course try to enjoy it as much as I possibly can,” he said in his post-match press conference after the ATP Finals victory.
The former World No. 1 also remarked that his wife Jelena and kids Stefan and Tara made his tournament experience soothing and motivated him to play his best tennis.
“Of course, they make my life on the tour easier. The pressures, the expectations, the tensions that you normally go through on a big tournament like this, when they're around, it lowers a bit so I can have that time off, quality time with my family. That really soothes me and gives me serenity in order to recalibrate and play my best tennis the next day,” Novak Djokovic remarked, adding, “I don't know how many tournaments more I'm going to get this opportunity have them all. I cherish these moments a lot. Hopefully, as (the kids) grow older, they'll realize even more what special moments we're living together.”
"She was like, 'This is too stressful'" - Novak Djokovic on his wife Jelena having to deal with their kids at ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic also gave insight into how his kids were spending time at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Serb said that his son Stefan was especially loud and very keen on the sport.
“I took both of my children, particularly my son, a lot to the tennis training sessions, warmups, matches. He was very loud, I must say. I was very surprised. I could hear his voice the entire time (smiling). He was very much into it. They both are now aware of what's going on, what the father is doing,” he said.
Novak Djokovic further confessed that his wife Jelena was having a tough time handling the two young children while simultaneously trying to be there for him.
“It was funny because the other day I had a conversation with my wife. It's great to have them around. She was like, ‘This is too stressful,’” he said. “She's been with me for almost 20 years in my professional career. It's a lot that she has to do with children around, entertain them, at the same time be there for me.”