WATCH: Novak, Jelena Djokovic discuss mission to help children

The wavelength that Novak Djokovic and his partner in life, Jelena Djokovic, enjoy is on full display in a new CNN interview. These two people share an admirable resolve in mind and body. Reporting from Belgrade for CNN's Open Court program, Amanda Davies sat with the pair to discuss the current state of early-childhood education for Serbian children, whether star athletes should be seen as role models, and more.

Pay close attention to the 2:25 mark, when Jelena takes her husband's verbal assist and shoots and scores off it. (OK, we've mixed up our sports here.) She's a gifted communicator, poised and passionate. But here's the hard truth that Jelena shares: Serbia has 180,000 children, and just half of them have access to early-childhood education. Novak and his parents started his namesake foundation in 2007 with the intent to help children, plain and simple.

"We as a foundation have lots of work to do, and it's not something we're going to stop in the next few years," Jelena says. "Right now Novak has the power and the voice to raise the awareness and raise the funds for investment in the preschool education programs, and in the future we might not have this power."

At one of Davies' questions, the Djokovic tandem pauses for a second, considering the deep meaning of their impending answers.

Jelena: "I'm a mom so I will be very passionate about this."

(Cue witty aside from her husband)

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Jelena: "I'm taking over, huh?"

Novak: "You're doing a great job."

Detractors say that pre-kindergarten and preschool learning initiatives are expensive, sometimes maligning them as unnecessary. Jelena is clear-eyed about this: "The decision to invest in the early-childhood education is not a popular decision at all because not many people see the benefits or the visible results in the short run."

Asked by Davies whether the onus is on famous athletes to serve as role models, Jelena replies swiftly and affirmatively: "Yes."

Her husband extrapolates: "There are many sports stars who are great examples of people that have this awareness and have carried the responsibility in a great way. They serve as a great example to many children around the world. There are also many athletes who just don't realize to what extent and how far their voice goes."

And then again ensues a candid flow of words between the two, all but finishing each others' thoughts:

Jelena: "With the social media now, you are constantly under pressure."

Novak: "You are on the radar. Everything that you do, that you say, is monitored.

Jelena: "Twenty-four hours' work. That's it."

Novak: "Big brother.”

(Jelena laughs)

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Novak: "Some people may look at that as a burden, but I look at it as a great privilege, and actually a great opportunity and platform to do something. Create the change that will be positive."

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Away from the lens of CNN, Djokovic made a different, more literal splash this past week when he and younger brother Marko took to an inflatable raft and water slide in Dubai.

"We are never too old to go to water parks, right?" Djokovic the Elder asked on Instagram.

No, and the inverse is true as well: One is never too young to start learning.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.