Djokovic: Tennis will come second to baby

 

Originally published on 02/05/14

The world No.2 revealed last week that fiancée Jelena Ristic is pregnant with their first child. Djokovic, 26, says the baby will provide him "extra energy and motivation" and will also now be his main priority ahead of tennis.

“It is the best thing, the start of a new chapter of my life and I am very happy,”  the six-time Grand Slam champion told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Tennis is not the only source of happiness for me and the arrival of the baby means it will no longer be the No.1 priority.

“I will still try to return to No.1 and win all the tournaments because it is my passion, my love and my work, and the thing I do best. I am grateful for the opportunity to play tennis but I do not take anything for granted. I appreciate more in life because I have not had it all for free.”

Djokovic, who has been nursing a wrist injury recently, is scheduled to return to action at the Mutua Madrid Open next week.

Asked whether he will be changing the baby’s nappies he said: “I can’t wait to experience these moments, even staying awake at night. I have several friends who have done it like Ivan Ljubicic. Look at Tommy Haas and the inspiration he has had from the arrival of his daughter.”

He added: “I want to know more about things and I always want to learn, this is something I have inherited from my family. When I was a kid I took my responsibilities, growing up with economic difficulties, but with the ambition and knowledge of what I had to do to get ‘there’.”

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