The new building in honor of the Olympic champion in Belgrade should be completed in 2027
Tennis star Novak Djokovic is to have an entire museum dedicated to him in his Serbian homeland following his Olympic victory in Paris. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic announced plans to this effect for the record Grand Slam winner and long-time world number one. The new building for the exhibition about the Monegasque by choice in the capital Belgrade is to be completed by 2027.
“We have held initial talks about a Novak Djokovic Museum. It will be a new attraction for the city,” said Vucic. Vucic did not say what content and exhibits would be presented.
Vucic justified the initiative in honor of the 37-year-old exceptional sportsman with a comparison to Djokovic’s long-time Spanish rival Rafael Nadal. “Mallorca has a Rafael Nadal museum. We will make sure that we show what Djokovic has done for our country and attract tourists at the same time,” said the head of state.
Djokovic enjoys the status of a national hero in his home country. Despite moving his residence to Monaco, the “Djoker” regularly expresses his loyalty to the Balkan state and his close ties with his compatriots, albeit not always in an uncontroversial manner (“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia”), as he did in 2023.
Djokovic also used the social media commentary on winning his first Olympic gold medal after his triumph at Roland Garros to express his sympathy for Serbia and its people. “I could never have given up my dream of winning this gold medal, just as the Serbian people have always believed in me,” Djokovic wrote on his Instagram account, adding pathetically: “Even though I own this medal, I want every Serb to know that it belongs to all of us. Representing our nation is the greatest honor in the world. “