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Novak Djokovic's son Stefan wins tournament on same day as his father

The world No. 1's seven-year-old son was competing in his first tennis tournament on Sunday, and he followed in dad's footsteps by taking home the trophy.

ByKamakshi Tandon

Published May 16, 2022

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WATCH: Novak Djokovic speaks with the media after his 2022 Rome final win

Novak Djokovic isn't the only player in his household who won a title yesterday.

His seven-year-old son, Stefan, also played his very first tennis competition, winning the trophy the same day that Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to secure victory in Rome.

The 35-year-old Serb spoke with similar enthusiasm about his son's victory as he did his own.

"My son won the tournament today," Djokovic told press following his title win at Rome. "A 'sunshine double' today. It's a very small club tournament.

"It was nice to see him playing. The first official tournament or match always stays in your memory very fondly. I really wanted him to enjoy it on the court."

Good coaching might've played a role—Stefan got some help from the world No.1 prior to the event.

"Obviously we had a chat about the routines and the things he should do," said Djokovic. "You have to speak in their language about things that I feel like it could help him."

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Djokovic with son Stefan (center) and daughter Tara at last year's Paris-Bercy tournament.

But Djokovic noted that while he's happy to have him involved in the game, he's not placing any weight on his son.

"I'm not forcing him to play tennis. I never did that. Not a single day have I told him you have to do this," said Djokovic, who is also father to four-year-old daughter Tara. "It's really purely his own desire to step on the court. Of course, I'll be thrilled if he plays tennis.

"He shouldn't feel any of the pressure or expectations yet, even though he's going to because it's part of I guess his family."

And despite his stellar career, Djokovic says he finds his son has also helped him on court.

"He was showing me forehands and backhands, how he's going to move tomorrow, kind of shadowing, playing shadow tennis," he said. "I try to take that energy, childish energy, and fuel my inner child because I tend to forget about my inner child a lot. Everything is so serious. It's your profession. It's your job."

That's something he can look to carry into the pressure-filled atmosphere of the French Open, which starts in a few days.

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