Novak Djokovic moved to Greece with his family last year after he was the target of a smear campaign from the Serbian government, and the tennis icon’s relocation has now been officially confirmed.
In September last year, Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, started living in Athens with their children, Stefan and Tara.
Djokovic opened up about the move in an interview with Greek outlet SDNA in November ahead of the inaugural Hellenic Championship — an ATP tournament in Athens organised by the Djokovic family.
The 38-year-old said that moving to Greece with his family “wasn’t something I had planned for a long time”, explaining that things had changed in his life “both privately and professionally” in the last two years.
The 24-time major champion stressed that the priority for him and his wife was for their children to grow up in “the most beneficial environment”, and he added that they felt “welcome” in Greece.
On Thursday, Thanos Plevris — the Greek minister for immigration and asylum — took to X/Twitter to reveal that Djokovic “wishes to stay with his family in our country” as he shared a photo of himself sitting with the Serbian.
Novak Djokovic with Thanos Plevris – the Greek minister for immigration and asylum
“With great pleasure, we welcomed to the Ministry the great athlete and man @DjokerNole (Djokovic’s X account),” Plevris wrote.
“It is an honour for us that he wishes to stay with his family in our country.”
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The reported reason Djokovic and his family left Serbia
Djokovic has not explicitly stated the reason for his relocation from his home city of Belgrade, but it reportedly involves the Serbian government.
In December 2024, Djokovic – who is Serbia’s biggest national icon – expressed support for the student-led protests against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and the government as a whole.
The previous month, mass protests took place in Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia, after the collapse of a railway station canopy killed 16 people, with demonstrators accusing Serbian police and local authorities of negligence and corruption. Protests had spread to 400 cities by March and remain ongoing.
“As someone who deeply believes in the power of young people and their desire for a better future, I consider it important that their voice is heard,” Djokovic wrote on X.
“Serbia has enormous potential, and educated youth is its greatest strength. What we all need is understanding and respect. With you, Novak.”
According to journalist Jaschar Dugalic, reporting for German news outlet Neue Zurcher Zeitung, the Serbian government “set its sights” on Djokovic as a result of his stance.
Dugalic reported that “regime-friendly media” in Serbia has attacked the character of Djokovic, with tabloid newspaper Informer branding Djokovic a “disgrace” in response to his public support for protests.
After it was reported that Djokovic was considering moving to Athens with his family, the same outlet labelled him “a false patriot who had presented himself as a symbol of Serbia for years only to now flee to Greece.”
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