EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena Djokovic DENY divorce rumors: they announce the imminent birth of their child, but it’s the NAME that creates a sensation on the Internet!
By Elise Moreau, sports and society correspondent – Belgrade, 6 November 2025
Belgrade – “We are more united than ever: these divorce rumors are just hot air!” said Novak Djokovic, world number one with 24 Grand Slam titles, with a firm voice and sparkling eyes, during a surprise press conference published on Instagram just 45 minutes ago. At 38, the invincible Serbian and his wife Jelena, 38, the love of his life for 20 years, have just emphatically denied the separation rumors that had fueled the tabloids for months. Not only does the couple remain united, but they also announced the imminent birth of their third child: a boy due in January 2026! But what really drove the web crazy was the name chosen:“Eternal“, a poetic tribute to Novak’s immortal career and the unshakable love that binds them. The video, viewed 5 million times in less than an hour, set social media ablaze: #DjokovicBabyEternal and #NoDivorceForNole are at the top of global trends, with crying fans and hilarious memes. “It’s not a name, it’s a declaration of eternal love!” one Serbian supporter tweeted. For the iconic tennis couple, this baby isn’t just a new chapter; it’s a victory over gossip, a rebirth in the spotlight. A love story that, like an ace in the fifth set, left the world speechless.
Rumors of a divorce between Novak and Jelena date back to the summer of 2024, fueled by prolonged absences from tournaments and blurry photos of Novak with a mysterious brunette in Monaco – a publicity stunt for his new partnership with Lacoste, but the tabloids considered it a scandal. In 2023, a public discussion at the US Open, where Jelena left the stands in tears after Novak’s defeat against Jannik Sinner, set the forums ablaze: “Jelena is fed up with his tantrums!”, the headlines screamed. The couple, married in 2014 with a sumptuous ceremony in the Kalemegdan Fortress in the presence of 300 guests, including Maria Sharapova and Novak’s coach, Marian Vajda, embodied perfection: Jelena, founder of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which has built 50 schools in Serbia since 2007, and Novak, the “King of the Courts” with 24 Grand Slam titles, 7 Wimbledon and 4 Roland Garros. Two children, Stefan, 11, and Tara, 8, completed the idyllic picture. “We are a team: ups and downs, we are in the same boat,” declared Novak aVoguein 2022. But in 2025, with retirement imminent after a fluctuating season (semifinal at the Australian Open, quarterfinal at Roland-Garros), family tensions emerged: Novak obsessed with the 25th Major, Jelena exhausted from traveling and criticism of her “shadow role”.
Today’s announcement, published at 6.45pm from Djokovic’s villa in Belgrade – a garden overlooking the Danube – is a masterstroke. Novak, in a navy blue polo shirt, takes Jelena’s hand. She is radiant in a flowing dress despite her five-month baby bump: “The rumors? Much ado about nothing. Jelena is my rock, my muse. And this baby? Our biggest ace.” Jelena, with tears in her eyes, adds: “We have overcome storms: Novak’s injuries, my difficulties with the foundations. But love always wins. This child will be our eternal light.” The name “Eternal”? A brilliant tribute: to the eternity of Novak’s records (98.5% winning percentage in Grand Slam tournaments), to their “infinite” love and to the Serbian philosophy of perseverance. “Eternal Djokovic – he looks like a champion,” laughs Novak, showing an ultrasound with his name written in gold. The enthusiasm? Immediate: 10 million “Likes” in 30 minutes, with meme of “Eternal” in a white shirt, with a small racket in his hand. #BabyEternal explodes with suggestions: “His first straight at 3 months?” from Federer (who puts “Like” and comments: “Congratulations, friends, let eternity begin!”).
The revelation brushed aside the rumors as a fluke. In 2024, a photo of Novak at a party without Jelena fueled speculation; in 2025, a discussion during the Paris Olympics (Novak in tears after the defeat against Alcaraz) had sparked gossip: “Did Jelena leave him?”. But the couple, united in support, had already announced family therapy in July: “To be better parents,” Jelena explained to the magazineHello!.Stefan and Tara, tennis enthusiasts, had even “chosen” the name: “Eternal, like an invincible dad!”. The foundation, which has helped 1.5 million Serbian children, will launch an “Eternal Future” fund for early childhood education, with €5 million already pledged by Rolex and Lacoste. Novak, in the midst of preparing for the 2025 ATP Finals, added: “This child motivates me for the 25th Grand Slam title, so that Eternal can grow up with a champion father.”
The impact is global. In Belgrade, fans light candles under Novak’s portrait; in London, the All England Club congratulated him: “An eternal heir of the king”. In Paris, Roland-Garros tweets: “Eternal, welcome to the legend!”. The buzz surrounding the name – “Eternal” – becomes a trend with memes: a baby with a racket, “First Grand Slam at 6 months?”. The fans are divided between #EternalKing and #DjokovicFamilyGoals, with petitions for the “Eternal Day” at the 2026 Australian Open. Jelena, in an exclusive interview, confesses: “The name came in a dream: eternal like our love, like Novak’s records. The rumours? They brought us closer”. Novak, embracing her, concludes: “Eternal is not just a name: it is our promise to run together forever”.
As the sun sets over the Danube, the Djokovic couple walk hand in hand, without gossip, with a baby on the way. The news, shocking for having denied the divorce, is a hymn to love: 20 years, 2 children, 24 Major and now, Eternal. Tennis, an ephemeral sport, learns a lesson: the true Grand Slam is the heart. Novak and Jelena, from perfect couple to eternal parents, rewrite the ending. For Stefan, Tara and Eternal, the trophy is family. And for the world, an inspiration: love, like an ace, always hits the center.
