Novak Djokovic's wife hints he predicted Aus Open win early with cryptic on-court gesture
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena appeared to confirm a fan theory about the Serb's Australian Open victory.
Novak Djokovic’s wife has appeared to confirm a theory that the world No 1 predicted his Australian Open victory three weeks before lifting the title. A new video has emerged showing the Serb tapping his temple 22 times when he won the Adelaide title ahead of the Aussie Open. And Djokovic’s wife Jelena hinted that he was manifesting his 22nd Grand Slam trophy to tie Rafael Nadal’s record.
Djokovic started the year by winning back-to-back titles in Adelaide and the Australian Open, with the latter helping him equal Nadal for the most men’s singles Grand Slam titles. The 35-year-old had to save a championship point in the Adelaide final against Sebastian Korda, holding the American off to start his season with a trophy.
Some fans have now picked up on a cryptic gesture Djokovic made after winning his own championship point, as he tapped his temple exactly 22 times as he walked to the net to shake hands with Korda. The video was posted to social media with the caption: “Did anyone notice what Nole did after winning the Adelaide finals match?”
Many thought the 22 points to his head were meant to represent 22 Grand Slam titles - a record Djokovic was hoping to equal at the Australian Open after winning in Adelaide. And his wife Jelena appeared to confirm the theory as she reposted the video to her Instagram story.
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“Well spotted #NoleFam,” she responded, adding smiling, tongue-out and rock sign emojis. Jelena also tagged her husband and used some more hashtags, “#22” and #Nottoobad”.
Djokovic has been open about his visualisation techniques in the past, revealing that he used to try and make the Wimbledon trophy out of cardboard as a child and pretend to lift it. And he now has seven trophies from SW19 to his name, winning the last four editions of the tournament in a row.
“I think that every child, whatever he wants to become, should always dream, imagine,” the world No 1 said during a Serbian TV appearance in 2020. “It helps move them towards the realisation of those dreams. I had improvised trophies made of cardboard, plastic. I lifted those trophies, that brought me where I am today.”
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And he re-told the story after winning a record-equalling 22nd Major title in Australia when quizzed by a child mascot during his trophy photoshoot. “When I was eight, I was in my room, in Belgrade Serbia, where I'm from, and I was making the improvised Wimbledon trophy out of the materials that I had in the room,” he said after another of his visualisation techniques proved successful Down Under.
“I was making like a little toy and I had a game with myself and I was looking in the mirror, holding this trophy and saying that I will be a Wimbledon champion one day. So, that was the tournament I always dreamt of winning.”