"I had to not cry and be tough" - Novak Djokovic gets brutally honest about his personal relationships getting impacted by male athlete stereotypes

Novak Djokovic discussed the downside of male athletes, noting that their portrayal of vulnerability is often perceived as weakness. He also revealed that his upbringing, which didn't offer him a safe space to express his emotions, also affected his relationship with his then-girlfriend and wife, Jelena.

Novak Djokovic, inarguably the most successful tennis player in history, boasts 24 Grand Slam wins in his wall of fame. He contested the most major finals and also achieved a triple career Grand Slam and double Career Golden Masters as the only player to do so. The only man in singles to hold the top rank for a record 428 weeks, Djokovic forged a stellar trajectory, but deep within, he carried multiple unaddressed emotions.

In a recent Jay Shetty podcast episode, the 38-year-old shared how his family, especially his father, didn't give him a safe space to be vulnerable. Rather, he had to bottle up his emotions and get his job done without any room for errors. He said [1:08:03 onwards]:

"This is the point that we discussed on particularly in men's professional sports, there's no room for vulnerability. And because that shows weakness. Weakness exploits you, and when something exploits you, then you're vulnerable to you know, lose the match or game or whatever it is. I mean, that's the narrative...

"My upbringing, there was no room for emotions; it was just like serious, I have to do my job, and I have to be successful, no room for error, etc. But it also you know comes from I think my home, where I didn't have that relationship, where I would cry, with my father, especially that I would feel safe, I would not feel that and and so I had to not cry and be tough and then I have to I kind of closed myself you know to the point where I wasn't able to express myself emotionally."

He added that the way he conditioned himself also affected his relationship with his then-girlfriend and now wife, Jelena.

Djokovic is on a quest for his 25th Grand Slam singles title at the 2025 US Open.

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Novak Djokovic weighed in on his struggles after a 1R win at the 2025 US Open

Djokovic at the 2025 US Open - Day 1 - (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic faced off against American player Learner Tien in the opening round, comfortably taking the first set. He saved a set point and won the second set in a tiebreaker, ultimately trouncing his opponent in straight sets.

In a post-match interview, the Serb talked about the physical exertion he felt even though he didn't sustain any injuries.

"I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically. It's slightly a concern. I don't know. I don't have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points."

The 100-time Tour title winner will lock horns with another American, Zachary Svajda, on August 28.