‘She Doesn’t Let Him’ – Novak Djokovic’s Wife Jelena Open Up About Daughter Tara’s Crucial Role After His Defeats

At 39, Novak Djokovic continues to push his physical and mental limits on the ATP Tour. While many of his generation have retired, the Serb is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title. And just ahead of his US Open campaign, fans got a closer look at his life and career with the release of the feature-length documentary “Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter.” It also reveals how Djokovic deals with tough losses in private and how his daughter, Tara, helps him through his hardest moments.

Jelena Djokovic Reveals Daughter Tara Has “Access That Nobody Does” to Novak After Losses

Directed by Jason Hehir, the filmmaker behind the popular docuseries “The Last Dance,” which is based on NBA legend Michael Jordan’s life and career, this Amazon Prime documentary explores Djokovic’s intense preparation, his pursuit of the all-time Grand Slam record, and his childhood in war-torn Serbia.

However, some of its most personal moments come from those closest to him, particularly his wife, Jelena, and their children, 11-year-old Stefan and 8-year-old Tara.

As Jelena reveals in the film, the reality of the sport takes a heavy toll off camera.

“When he loses, he’s questioning his whole identity,” Jelena candidly explains in the documentary. “He goes to this avoidant mode of like, ‘leave me alone, like just close the door.

However, there is one person who can break through those emotional walls. While his team knows to give him space after a tough loss, Tara refuses to stay away. She helps her father come back and reconnect with his family.

“And Tara, when he wants to isolate, she doesn’t let him. He’s so in love with her that she has the access that nobody does,” Jelena says. “And so she turns him back to us. That’s Daddy’s girl. He’s living the childhood that he never had through our kids.”

Djokovic has spoken about how fatherhood has helped him reconnect with his inner child. “I have the privilege to be a father to wonderful kids, so I try to take that childish energy and fuel my inner child because I tend to forget my inner child a lot, because everything is so serious,” he said in 2022.

Stefan and Tara have attended many of his Grand Slam matches and were also in Paris for the 2024 Olympics, where they watched him win the gold medal.

While Stefan has shown an early interest in tennis, Djokovic does not pressure him to pursue the sport professionally and wants that decision to be his own. Tara, meanwhile, prefers gymnastics and ballet but has become a familiar presence in her father’s player box.

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She has even inspired some of Djokovic’s most memorable celebrations, including a violin-themed celebration in 2024 after she started learning the instrument. Tara has also been behind several of his fun victory dances, including at this year’s Wimbledon.

After the first-round loss at Cincinnati, Djokovic will be back at Flushing Meadows for the last Grand Slam of the year.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.