Novak Djokovic has finally spoken after reports claimed that he moved his whole family from Serbia to Greece. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has been living in Athens for the past few weeks and was even seen with his son Stefan at a local tennis club and at Greece’s Davis Cup match against Brazil.
Djokovic reacts to rumours of moving to Greece
Greek media Tennisko Reketiranje caught up with Djokovic when he was spending time with his son. When asked about whether he has shifted permanently to Athens, Djokovic replied, “I’m with my son now, sorry.” He was again asked if he plans to stay in Greece. The 38-year-old said, “I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m just enjoying my time with the family. I will be here for the tournament.”
The former World No. 1 is expected to play in the Hellenic Championship in Athens in November. But for now, Djokovic is not giving any clear answer about a permanent move out of his home country. The reports of him shifting to Greece have been doing the rounds for the past several months after he met the Prime Minister a few times.
Earlier, Tennis24 had reported that Djokovic’s children, Stefan and Tara, have already started school at St. Lawrence College in Athens. The family is said to be living in a rented house in Glyfada, near the Southern Suburbs. Some reports also claimed that Djokovic has applied for the Golden Visa programme in Greece that allows non-EU citizens to aquire citizenship by investing financially.
Djokovic’s decision to leave Serbia is linked with the backlash he faced at home after showing support for anti-government protests against President Aleksandar Vucic. Since then, the Serbian media close to the regime have criticised him heavily, which reportedly pushed him to find a new base for his family.
Djokovic was also seen last weekend in Athens watching Stefanos Tsitsipas take on Joao Fonseca in the Davis Cup tie between Greece and Brazil.