Novak Djokovic reveals real reason behind relocating to Greece with wife Jelena and kids Tara & Stefan

Novak Djokovic is set to return to action at the inaugural edition of the Hellenic Championship in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday, November 4. Ahead of his opening match, the Serbian revealed the reason behind his move to Greece with his wife Jelena and two kids. The Athens ATP 250 event replaced Belgrade, the Serb's home event, on the calendar this year.

Djokovic and his family shifted to Greece after the player's semifinal exit in the US Open in September. Since then, he has only featured in the Shanghai Masters, where he suffered a shock semifinal defeat against Valentin Vacherot.

The 38-year-old also withdrew from the ongoing Paris Masters, the last ATP 1000 event of the season, and chose the Hellenic Championship as his final event before the ATP Finals in Turin. Talking to CNN Greece ahead of his Round of 16 match, Novak Djokovic explained the reason behind his move to Greece and the experience his family has had so far in Athens.

"There is a lot of historical, religious, cultural, social ties between Greece and Serbia that are a big part of the reason why I’m here," Djokovic said. "It is also because of the weather, the food is incredible, you are on one of the nicest coastlines in Europe, in the world. I just love the lifestyle, you know, and I really feel that the Greek and Serbian people are like brothers, so this is the biggest reason." "We are as a family trying to see how life goes here and experience. You know, it's only been less than two months, so we will see how it goes. But so far, as I said, it's been a very positive experience," he added.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner is the top-seeded player at the Athens event and received a bye in the Round of 32. He is set to face Alejandro Tabilo of Chile in the Round of 16 match at OAKA Basketball Arena on Tuesday.

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What's next for Novak Djokovic?

Growing injury concerns have forced Novak Djokovic to consider his schedule very carefully this season. He has displayed his desire for the top prize by reaching the semifinals of all four Majors and winning the Geneva Open, his 100th ATP singles career title.

However, before the Athens event, the legendary tennis player had participated in just eight non-Major events this year. The 38-year-old recently snubbed the Paris Masters, triggering speculation about his participation in the ATP Finals 2025 event in Turin, Italy.

The 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist has yet to announce his plans, but a recent report has confirmed his participation in the ATP Finals. According to Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, the World No. 5 will take part in the season-ending event in Turin.

"We have confirmation that Djokovic will be in Turin," Binaghi told Italian radio channel Rai Gr Parlamento on November 3.

The Serb will join Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Alex de Minaur in Turin. Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime are fighting for the last spot in the season-ending event starting on November 9.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar