• Faith: Eastern Orthodox
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  May 22, 1987

Novak Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now known as Serbia). He is the oldest son of Srdjan and Dijana Djokovic. The couple also has two younger sons, Marko and Djordje. They come from a multicultural family, as his father, Srdjan, is from Serbia, while his mother, Dijana, is from Croatia. Despite cultural differences, Novak's parents share a common interest in skiing. In fact, they met at a ski resort.

When away from the ski resort, Srdjan provided for his family by building tennis courts and hotels. Srdjan's occupation introduced Novak to tennis as he hung out with and brought lunch to his father's coworkers. During this time, his father noticed the passionate spark in his son's eyes when looking at a tennis court. Novak's excitement compelled Srdjan to buy him a small racquet and foam ball when he was just four years old.

Along with Srdjan, Dijana also supported her son's tennis journey during his childhood. In fact, Novak calls her a superwoman and the glue that holds their family together. This is because she raised three children and assisted her husband with running their pizzeria and sports equipment businesses. Novak also holds his parents in high regard for the sacrifices they made, supporting his dreams while living in a war-torn country. Unfortunately, making sacrifices for Novak meant neglecting Marko and Djordje's dreams. Despite sacrificing their desires for Novak's dreams, Marko and Djordje have also succeeded as professional tennis players. Marko succeeded by playing the sport until 2017. Similarly, Djordje reached the Doubles Quarterfinals of the 2015 China Open. Djordje currently works as the Serbia Open Tournament Director.

Thankfully, Novak made an extraordinary return on his family's investment by becoming the world's top-ranked tennis player. Novak earned this ranking by having a career record of 1,177-238, winning 24 Grand Slam titles and earning a Gold Slam. He's also finished the calendar year ranking as ATP's top player eight times. Additionally, he's the first Serbian man to win one of tennis's four most prestigious singles championships. Some of his other notable accolades include receiving the 2012 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award and being named the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year. Novak's skill has allowed him to prosper financially, collecting nearly $195,000,000 in total prize money.

While Novak has experienced much glory on the court, his crowning achievement is being a husband and father. He married his high school sweetheart, Jelena, in July 2014 after a few years of long-distance dating. They have a son named Stefan and a daughter named Tara.

Novak Djokovic's Religious Beliefs

Novak knows his success wouldn't be possible without his wife and family's support. As a Serbian Orthodox Christian, Novak is also unashamed to express his religious beliefs. Evidence of his faith includes gestures like crossing himself and publicly praying before matches. Once, he even joked about asking God to give more Wild Draw 4 cards during Uno.

But, behind every joke is an element of truth. For Novak, the truth of his Uno joke manifests through his spiritual disciplines, which show he believes in praying constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition). His commitment to prayer fulfills Paul's desire for every man to pray without being angry or quarrelsome (1 Timothy 2:8, RSVCE).

The absence of anger and quarreling allows Christians to be unified as they dwell together peacefully. Novak experiences such unity that fellow tennis players who are also Orthodox Christians don't hesitate to express agape love for him. He reciprocates their support by serving others through charitable efforts. Novak's charitable efforts include rebuilding a school destroyed by a natural disaster and opening a restaurant to feed the unhoused. In 2007, he also started the Novak Djokovic Foundation to provide underprivileged children in Serbia with access to early childhood academic programs.

Interestingly, he first learned to serve others while getting lunch for his father's coworkers who were building tennis courts. Performing this act of kindness helped Novak discover his calling to become a tennis player, as seeing the courts unlocked a passionate spark his father recognized immediately. David shares a similar experience when bringing his brothers' lunch during battle. This task initiates his journey toward becoming a defender and king of Israel ( 1 Samuel 17:17-51, RSVCE).

In 2011, the Serbian Orthodox Church awarded Novak with the Order of Saint Sava for his commitment to faith and charity. The Russian Orthodox Church also honored him for strengthening the unity among Orthodox Christian Nations and promoting Christian values in society. While the church should recognize believers for doing good works, Novak's labor reveals his desire to please God by offering aid to the least of these (Matthew 25:31-39, RSVCE).