Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic weds longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic

Novak Djokovic weds long-time girlfriend Jelena Ristic in Montenegro.
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic weds longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic weds longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic /

Djokovic relies on gutsy play, inner strength in Wimbledon victory

Days after winning his second Wimbledon title, Novak Djokovic tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Jelena Ristic at a private ceremony in Montenegro. With the likes of his coach Boris Becker and his David Cup teammates in attendance, Djokovic and Ristic, who is pregnant with their first child, exchanged vows at Aman Sveti Stefan, an upscale resort on the Adriatic Sea. 

"Seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress, smiling and walking towards me… She looked like an angel," Djokovic told Hello Magazine in an exclusive interview. "I was trying to be present in that moment and memorize it. I was focused on her, and her smile, and our baby. It really was a perfect moment."

Ristic wore a gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and couldn't hide her emotions.

"I was very nervous and everything seemed a blur," Ristic told Hello Magazine. "I was seeing him through tears and immediately started crying when I saw him. I was just so happy and probably being pregnant makes it quite difficult to control the emotions. I am so blessed to have him in my life. I couldn't ask for a better partner than him."

Here's a full look at the photos published in Hello Magazine.

Best points, matches, meltdowns, quotes and more from Wimbledon

Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in a memorable five-set match last Sunday to capture his seventh major title and retake the No. 1 ranking. Djokovic told reporters after the match that he was ready for some time away from the courts to attend to his personal life. "I think I can close the chapter of my tennis career just for little bit now," he said. "I think I deserve that for few weeks to rest, to enjoy, be with my fiancée, my wife to be, and my family."

After completing his media obligations on Monday, Djokovic and Ristic arrived in Montenegro last Tuesday and the details of their nuptuals have been kept secret. Local media reports the staff working the wedding were asked to sign confidentiality agreement and were not allowed to use mobile phones. 

Djokovic and Ristic met in high school and have been together for over eight years. While Djokovic was making his assault on the rankings, Ristic was studying marketing at Bocconi University in Milan. Ristic now runs the Novak Djokovic Foundation, the Serb's charity to assist underprivileged children in Serbia. Djokovic popped the question last September.

Here's a great video of the couple taken a few years ago at a photo shoot in England:


Published
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.