Novak Djokovic opens a restaurant for the homeless
In October 2017, rumour had it that Novak Djokovic, who was down to World No. 6 because of a chronic shoulder injury that put an end to his season, would open… his third restaurant! The Sun, which initiated the rumour, reminded that Djokovic’s parents had a restaurant too, but also added that he did not want to feed only ‘regular’ customers; he also wanted to give free food to homeless people. The French and international media passed on Djokovic’s words: “Food is our fuel. I attribute a great deal of my success to my diet. I wanted to share it. I think that [people in Serbia] deserve this after all the support they are giving to me. I wanted to give something back to Serbia after all it has given me.” After he opened Novak in Belgrade in 2009, and Eqvita –a vegan restaurant– in Monaco in 2016, Djokovic, a true Orthodox who was granted the highest honour of the Serbian Orthodox Church for his many donations, launched his own charity movement. Well, it was more of a continuity, as he had created the Novak Fund –now known as the Novak Djokovic Foundation– ten years before to act for the education of underprivileged children. In 2014, he donated the prize money he earnt when he won the Italian Open to the victims of the floods in Serbia. A national hero, the face of many prestigious brands, a true philanthropist, and a sacred figure, Novak Djokovic has done all he could to help his country, which was destroyed by war when he was younger.
