It was Friday the 13th when at the well-known seafood restaurant “Papadakis” in Kolonaki, Novak Djokovic dined with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the following day it became known that this legendary tennis player would be moving to Greece.

Much was said during the dinner between the two men, but, according to behind-the-scenes information, the conversation did not focus solely on the arrival of the famous athlete—along with his wife and children—to Athens starting this September.

Many other topics were discussed between the Greek Prime Minister and the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who sees Greece as the closest thing to his beloved Serbia.

Djokovic’s love for his homeland is well-known—where both his and his wife Jelena’s families still reside.

However, his falling-out with his former close friend and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, due to Djokovic’s stance following the tragedy at the Novi Sad railway station, has left him with limited prospects for returning to live in Serbia.

For over a year now, the 38-year-old tennis player has been looking for a country to settle in with his wife and their two children, Stefan and Tara. Since the beginning of the year, when he first made contact with the Greek government, Djokovic quickly showed that he had chosen Greece as the next stop for his family’s life.

He has already been searching for a residence in both the northern and southern suburbs of Athens, aiming to move by the end of the summer. Together with Jelena, they are said to have already selected the private school their children will attend.

Tennis, Economy, and the Golden Visa

On Thursday, June 12, Novak Djokovic and his wife arrived in Athens for scheduled appointments to view properties. According to recent information, the couple first viewed villas in the northern suburbs, where the well-known English-speaking private school, Saint Catherine’s, is located.

The next day, they viewed other villas in the southern suburbs. According to a close friend of the tennis star, Jelena will make the final decision, though it seems the northern suburbs (Kifisia, Kefalari, Ekali) are the most likely choice due to the school. However, if they choose a home in the southern suburbs, the couple will need to find a suitable English-speaking school for their children, who until now attended school in Marbella, Spain.

That same evening, Djokovic dined with the Greek Prime Minister at “Papadakis” in Kolonaki, without their spouses. The conversation included a lot of talk about tennis, as Kyriakos Mitsotakis is a fan of the sport and surely had much to discuss with the tennis legend, who continues to compete in major tournaments. Djokovic is even considering participating in the 2028 Olympic Games, when he will be 41 years old.

According to what’s been revealed, Djokovic is expected to join the Golden Visa program, which allows non-EU citizens to reside in Greece for five years, with the option to renew. This was also a topic discussed with the Prime Minister, along with geopolitics and the economy.

People close to the famous Serbian player say Greece was the favorite from the start for Djokovic’s life after tennis. Despite receiving offers from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, Greece attracted him the most, as Greeks and Serbs share close cultural and emotional ties.

The Principality of Monaco, where he and his wife lived from 2014 to 2020, was ruled out from the start, and a brief flirtation with Qatar didn’t progress.

Another advantage Greece holds for Djokovic is its proximity to Serbia, which under other circumstances would clearly have been his first choice—especially since he owns a home in Belgrade. But since November 2024, returning there is no longer an option due to the tragic accident in Novi Sad and Djokovic’s position against the government led by President Vučić, who had previously been a close friend.

The Rift with Vučić

In January 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Serbian tennis star arrived in Australia to compete in the Australian Open. The issue was that Djokovic was unvaccinated—a fact he had clearly stated to the Australian authorities in advance. Although he had received special permission from the country’s tennis federation to compete, he was ultimately not allowed to play and was instead held for 11 days in a migrant detention center. The situation caused global uproar, particularly due to how one of the world’s top tennis players was treated—an athlete who holds 23 Guinness World Records.

At the time, Aleksandar Vučić rushed to defend his “buddy,” saying: “You tortured Djokovic for 11 days just to issue a decision you already knew from the first day. If you had said from the start that unvaccinated players couldn’t compete, Djokovic either wouldn’t have come or would’ve gotten vaccinated.”

The relationship between the Serbian President and the sports phenom had been extremely close, with the two meeting whenever their schedules allowed. But everything changed last November.

On November 1st, just before noon, the roof above the main entrance of Novi Sad’s railway station collapsed, killing 15 people, including a 6-year-old child. The tragedy shocked Serbia. Even though two ministers and the head of the state railway resigned, public outrage remained high.

Enemies at the Gates

As student protests intensified, Vučić “sacrificed” his Prime Minister, Miloš Vučević, but Djokovic—known as “Nole” to his fans—expressed his thoughts in a post on X last December:

“As someone who deeply believes in the power of youth and their desire for a better future, I think it is important that their voice is heard. Serbia has enormous potential, and its educated youth is its greatest strength. What we all need is understanding and respect. With you, Novak.”

Media outlets sympathetic to the President ignored the post entirely, while national TV even edited out the words “understanding” and “respect.” Since then, the relationship between the two men has essentially ended. This January, Djokovic attended a Partizan vs. Red Star derby wearing a sweatshirt that read, “Students are champions.”

The footage enraged Vučić. In March, as the student protests continued, Djokovic posted a photo from a massive demonstration with the caption:

“Serbia… History… Magnificent!!”

In response, Vučić’s tightly controlled newspaper Informer ran a story titled “Novak Supports the Revolution”, in which the journalist called the student protesters “hooligans.” It became clear the two men were now adversaries—a rift Djokovic did not seek, as he certainly could have returned to live in Serbia.

His popularity is such that even Vučić would think twice before attacking him through his media outlets. Whenever Djokovic walks the streets of Belgrade, he’s treated almost like a head of state.

Nevertheless, Djokovic has made it clear he has no interest in getting involved in Serbian politics. His focus remains on tennis, where—even with age catching up to him—he continues to shine.