"That's a kind of preparation that I never had in my life" - When Novak Djokovic commented on getting married after winning Shanghai Masters 2013
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic once commented on getting married to his then-longtime girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, after winning the 2013 edition of the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic and Jelena have known each other since they were kids, as they went to the same high school in their home country Serbia. The couple dated for eight years before getting engaged in September 2013 in Monte Carlo.
A month later, the Serb competed in the Shanghai Masters, where he had an incredible run, defeating Marcel Granollers, Fabio Fognini, Gael Monfils, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to set up a clash with Juan Martin del Potro in the final.
Both gave it their best, but top seed Djokovic maintained his domination in China by defeating his Argentinian opponent 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (3) to win his second Shanghai Masters title and extend his winning streak in the Asian country to 20 matches.
Novak Djokovic attended a press conference following his tournament heroics and discussed getting married to his fiance Jelena Ristic, stating it was the kind of preparation he had never had in his entire life. He added that Jelena will handle all of the event's organization better than he will.
"That's a kind of preparation that I never had in my life, so it's going to be very difficult for me. I will leave most of the part of the organization for the wedding to my fiance. I'm sure she's going to handle it better than I do," he said.
When suggested that he could buy some souvenirs in China itself, the Serb replied:
"I'm going to have to buy many gifts, that's for sure."
The power couple married in July 2014, less than a week after Djokovic won his second Wimbledon title. The event was held at Sveti Stefan, a small coastal town in Montenegro.
They have been living happily together since then and have two children, an eight-year-old son named Stefan and a six-year-old daughter called Tara.
Novak Djokovic is not competing at the Shanghai Masters 2023
Novak Djokovic has had an extremely busy few weeks in September, earning his record 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open and helping his nation reach the 2023 Davis Cup Finals knockouts.
Last month, the World No. 1 took to social media to announce his withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters, which began on October 2. He said he would miss his fans in China but hoped to return in the future.
"Over the years, some of the best support I receive anywhere in the world is in China. Shanghai has always been one of my favourite tournaments in the season. I will be missing my #NoleFam in China. I hope that I can come back to China in the future and play in front of all of you again," Djokovic said.
The tournament in China is the season's penultimate Masters 1000 event. The first three spots in the semifinals of this year's edition have already been secured by Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz and Sebastian Korda. The last spot is up for grabs and it will be claimed by the winner of the match between Andrey Rublev and Ugo Humbert at the ongoing tournament.