Novak Djokovic has opened up about his decision to not let his children Stefan and Tara have personal phones. The Serb explained why he refused to budge from his stance despite arguments with his wife Jelena and his complaints from their kids.
Following his third-round exit from the US Open, Djokovic has joined Team Serbia in Belgrade for their Davis Cup tie against Greece. The 24-time Grand Slam champion treated the home fans to a dominant display in his opening match, claiming a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ioannis Xilas in just 45 minutes.
The World No. 4 celebrated his victory with his wife Jelena and daughter Tara, who were cheering him on from the stands. The Serb’s daughter Tara rang in her seventh birthday earlier this month, while his son Stefan will turn 10 in October.
In an interview with Blic prior to the match, Novak Djokovic revealed that his children still don’t have phones of their own, a decision that has sparked arguments between him and his wife. The 37-year-old also shared that his kids often complained that everyone at school had a phone except for them.
However, Djokovic emphasized that his “stubborn” stance was motivated by his desire to teach his children about the importance of not following the herd mentality.
“My children still don’t have a cell phone, my wife and I argue. They complain, “At school everyone has one except us.” It’s not easy and this is reflected on other levels as well,” he said.
“If everyone does something, the herd behaves like this, you have to follow them. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. This is where I think we differ from others, because we are stubborn and active,” he said.
“I am the one responsible for their activities, sports, healthy lifestyle” – Novak Djokovic on dividing parenting duties with his wife Jelena
Novak Djokovic’s decision to deny his children phones of their own comes as no surprise, given his recent remarks about taking a more active role in managing their lifestyle, compared to his wife Jelena.
In an interview with the Tennis Channel during the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, the Serb also disclosed that he oversaw his children’s extracurricular and sporting pursuits, encouraging them to maintain an active lifestyle.
“Out of the two parents I am the one that is responsible for their activities, sports, healthy lifestyle. I want them… I have always sometimes, exactly -she is rolling her eyes right now (pointed to his wife) as I am speaking,” he said.
“I keep on in a way reminding them how important it is to be active, just do sports, I mean whether it is tennis or whatever it is, just be active, be out there. So I try to take them on with me on tennis every day, even if it’s the match day I want them to be here with me,” he added.
Following his win over Ioannis Xilas in his opening match at the Davis Cup Finals group stage, Djokovic will team up with Hamad Medjedovic to take on the Greek duo of Petros Tsitsipas and Demetris Azoidez. Subsequently, he will face Aristotelis Thanos in his remaining singles fixture.
