Chapter 9: Djokovic As Pop Culture Phenomenon

Having already reached the prominent status of tennis great and youthful sports role model, Novak Djokovic now finds himself a mainstay of contemporary pop culture.

From his superstar status on the court and corresponding popularity through social media, to his high-profile romance and newfound struggle to lead a “normal life,” success and fame have changed Djokovic’s life forever.

Perhaps most integral to Djokovic’s burgeoning fame is the growing number of non-tennis related media events he continues to headline around the world, particularly in the United States.

If not already a household name because of his tennis, his couch-time on US-based talk shows beginning in 2008 contributed greatly to Djokovic’s pop culture posturing today.

Presenting his boyish charm and amiable wit to audiences belonging to the likes of Conan O’Brien, JayLeno, and RegisandKelly, Novak Djokovic has become ratings gold on the television interview circuit.

And with Djokovic’s emerging popularity in the mainstream media, the athlete’s value as a pitchman has simultaneously increased.

The Serbian Sponsor Magnet

Novak Djokovic may be yet to reach the illustrious and lucrative sponsorship heights of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Lance Armstrong, but by late 2011, Djokovic had developed significant relationships with four primary sponsors: Austrian racket manufacturer Head, Italian clothing brand Sergio Tacchini International, Serbian telecommunications company Telekom Srbija, and German nutritional supplement brand FitLine.

Despite ascending to the top of his sport in 2011, Djokovic’s earnings for the year would be about $20 million - half of which was prize money from tournaments. Even so, while many athletes draw bigger sponsorship bucks on an annual basis, Nigel Currie, director of London-based sports marketing agency brandRapport, tells CNN that Djokovic will all but certainly see bigger checks with time – especially if he continues to win major titles and grow further entrenched in global pop culture.

“Djokovic has come along at a time where Federer and Nadal have got the big deals,” Currie says. “This season, he’s emerged from their shadows and it takes time to get past them and for the world to realize this guy is the genuine article.”

For Djokovic, however, perhaps the true measure of his fame comes in the form of pervasive public fascination with his love life.

Jelena Ristic

Since 2006, Novak Djokovic has dated Jelena Ristic, a golden-haired beauty from Djokovic’s native Serbia. But only in recent years has the couple been subjected to the long lens of the paparazzi – a reality that has made dating a more cumbersome challenge.

“Jelena is the love of my life,” Djokovic would famously tell Jay Leno during a 2008 guest appearance on The Tonight Show. “We have been together for a few years and her honesty is what I love about her and what keeps us happy and in love.”

“She is capable, ambitious and strong,” he gushed on American television.

She is also, quite apparently, substantially more camera-shy and reticent than her well-known boyfriend, as few details about her background, education, and relationship with the tennis pro have come to light.

In one of the few public comments made by Ristic, the long-time gal pal of the tennis great would, according to theInternationalBusinessTimes, tell the ATP: "I'm really proud. It's his dream to be so successful and I'm really happy for him that he managed to, you know, accomplish at least part of his dream," Ristic said. "Hopefully I'll be there to help him and to see him achieving the biggest one, the top."

Since her boyfriend’s rise to international acclaim, the public has remained almost insatiably captivated by Ristic, photographs of whom continue to populate the web after her supportive appearances at live tennis events where Djokovic is competing.

An unwitting participant in the pop culture phenomenon that her mate has become, Ristic has largely left all the talking about their romance to Djokovic, who has become an avid user of social media to keep fans and the general public alike informed of his personal and professional lives.

In addition to launching an official website and Facebook page,Twitter has become the public communication tool of choice for Novak Djokovic. And when he speaks, a great many people listen.

See Djokovic’s Twitter page here: twitter.com/#!/DjokerNole

Near the end of his 2011 season, Novak Djokovic had amassed close to 400,000 followers on Twitter, a number that dwarfs many of the followings enjoyed by other famous athletes across a broad variety of professional sports.

“The Djoker”

It’s been said that you can learn a lot about a person by their nickname. Such is evidently true for Novak Djokovic – A.K.A. “The Djoker.”

Helping in no small way to fuel the enormous social media-centric popularity of Novak Djokovic is the charming Serbian’s stellar sense of humor.

The world at large first witnessed the comedic talents of Djokovic after his US Open quarterfinal win. After impressing the audience with his gameplay, Djokovic went on to thoroughly amuse those watching live and around the world on television with his spot-on impersonations of Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova.

Video of Djokovic’s impressions have gone viral on social media platforms likeYouTube on countless occasions. In 2009, as another prime example, “The Djoker” struck again after his final preliminary game at the 2009 US Open. It was then that Novak Djokovic lampooned tennis legend John McEnroe in a hilarious and surprisingly accurate physical impersonation.

Watch Djokovic’s comments here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUvYar4d2IM

The Parent Trap

While Novak Djokovic’s comedic antics have been taken in good humor by the tennis community, the tennis star’s mother and father have, at times, been anything but funny in their behavior at tennis games in which their son is competing.

While Djokovic’s mother is widely perceived to be the quiet parent, “Daddy Djokovic” has stirred up no shortage of controversy and morsels of pop culture entertainment with his outspoken and often colorful actions.

In early 2011, Srdjan Djokovic came up short in his effort to unseat Serbia Tennis Federation (TSS) president Slobodan Zivojinovic , who managed to retain his position after staunch opposition from the senior Djokovic.

"Serbia won the Davis Cup and became world tennis champions despite Zivojinovic and his aides being in charge all these years, not thanks to them," Djokovic senior told the session before abandoning it with his supporters.

As chronicled in coverage provided by Reuters, Srdjan Djokovic  publicly argued that the TTSS, under present leadership, “had done nothing to improve dilapidated facilities or invest in the development of young talent in Serbia, having targeted Zivojinovic as the main culprit in an ‘idle and disinterested approach.’"

"Tennis was off the sports map in Serbia before our children appeared from nowhere but these people sitting here now are happy to claim all the credit," he said.

The politics of tennis aside, Novak’s mother and father have also turned heads with reports of less-than-sportsmanlike conduct at tennis games. From reportedly taunting Novak’s opposition and supporters to gloating in the wake of victory, Novak Djokovic’s parents have been a lightning rod for controversy – another driving factor behind the perpetually widening media spotlight shining upon Novak.

The Humble Humanitarian

Cognizant of the reality that with fame comes social responsibility, Novak Djokovic quietly began his humanitarian and charitable efforts while just a teenager climbing the ranks of professional tennis.

In 2007, he founded the Novak Humanitarian Fund which was established, among other charitable contributions across Europe, to provide access to tennis courts and scholarships for young Serbians and to donate ambulances to hospitals in Kosovska, Mitrovica, and Brus.

In Serbia, the foundation aims to cultivate greater access to education as well as educational development for all children. To this end, Djokovic forged a partnership with UNICEF. And with as much spare time as he can find, Djokovic takes part in fund-raising exhibition matches on behalf of the reconstruction of Haiti, in Japan, in Loznica, and Kraljevo.

Following his US Open triumph in September 2011, Tennis Djokovic visited a preschool in Serbia on behalf of UNICEF.

“Novak Djokovic is working hard to fight for the rights of children and the importance of early childhood education,” oneChinesemediaoutlet reported. “The tennis star’s visit to Serbia today marked the beginning of his tenure as UNICEF Ambassador for early childhood education.”

“What I learned as a young child continues to have a tremendous impact on my life today,” Djokovic said during his visit to the school. “I had a unique privilege to have a good start in life and a chance to develop my talents. But the starting line is not the same for all children. Those born into poverty or on the margins of society require our extra support to realize their dreams. Preschool programs are essential to give every young child the maximum possibilities to success in his further education. They provide them with a winner’s starting position.”

More info here: news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-09/28/c_131164463.htm

Through the Novak Humanitarian Fund and UNICEF, Djokovic says he plans to devote as much time, energy, and resources as possible to the causes closest to his heart – causes that, by and large, appear to directly relate to children.