Novak Djokovic’s Brother Explains Why He and Family Made Difficult Decision to Move ATP 250 From Belgrade to Athens

Novak Djokovic and his family have relocated to Athens from Belgrade, reportedly because of the ongoing student protest against the government under President Aleksandar Vucic. Djokovic will be playing an ATP 250 event in Athens in November.

He has been dealing with a fitness problem since the Shanghai Masters, during which he also threw up mid-match multiple times because of extreme humidity. But the Serb is racing against time to be ready for the ATP 250 Hellenic Championship in Greece’s capital.

The reason why he is bent on participating in the event is that the tournament is owned by his family, with his brother, Djordje Djokovic, being the tournament director. The first edition of the Athens event is scheduled to start on November 2, and Djordje, during the pre-tournament press conference, explained why they moved the event from Belgrade to Athens.

There are operational procedures and logistics that must meet ATP standards. This year, we were unable to overcome the difficulties we had for logistical reasons, and we reached the point of having to move the tournament. It was very difficult to do it as Serbs – I was born and raised in Belgrade. It was also very difficult, because we started organizing the event many months ago and had to throw everything away and start from scratch.

Djokovic will chase his second title of the season in Athens. So far this year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has clinched the Geneva Open and also reached the final of the Miami Open.

The 38-year-old was last seen in action at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and later gave the walkover to Taylor Fritz in the third-place match. This year, he has played in every semifinal of the four Majors, losing at the French Open and Wimbledon to Sinner, at the US Open to Carlos Alcaraz, while at the Australian Open, an injury forced him to give the walkover to Alexander Zverev.

Andy Roddick on Novak Djokovic’s PTPA

While Novak Djokovic was in Riyadh, he made a comment about the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he founded along with Vasek Pospisil. Djokovic said they still don’t have a “seat at the table where the decisions are being made“, calling it the downside of the sport and censuring the way the system is structured. Former player Andy Roddick, however, wanted Djokovic to clarify his comments.

Is it the monopoly of the Tour or the Slams or all the above? You say system, but specifically which system? You say monopoly, but specifically which monopoly? Just frankly speaking, I think Novak is extremely well intentioned, and the players in the locker room have grown to really love and adore this guy as a leader in the sport.

Andy Roddick said during his Served podcast

The PTPA sued all the governing bodies this year, accusing them of not taking care of players’ well-being and engaging in anti-competitive practices. Djokovic was not part of the lawsuit and found certain phrases shocking.

Nole last lifted a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open by beating Daniil Medvedev. Since then, he played just one Grand Slam final – at the 2024 Wimbledon, losing the match to Carlos Alcaraz. The last Big Title that he lifted was at the 2024 Paris Masters by beating Alcaraz.

Before the Six Kings Slam, he was in Shanghai and reached the semifinals but ended up losing the match to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot in straight sets. Djokovic will be skipping the Paris Masters, and his participation at the ATP Finals is uncertain.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Admits her “Last Push” For a Place in the WTA Finals has Taken a Toll on her

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