Novak Djokovic Museum - Serbia honors the G.O.A.T.

With twenty-four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal, Novak Djokovic has become a global tennis phenomenon and Serbia’s most celebrated star.

The tennis giant’s recent Olympic conquest not only earned him a gold medal, but a museum dedicated to his name at his home city as well.

The Novak Djokovic Museum

Following Djokovic’s much awaited victory at the Paris Olympics last Sunday, the Serbian government announced plans to build a museum in Belgrade to honor its greatest-ever athlete and also boost tourism.

"We had the first discussions about the construction of the Novak Djokovic museum, which is expected to become another attraction for the city," Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday, AFP reported.

“We will strive to showcase what Djokovic has done for our country in accordance with his merits and at the same time attract tourists,” he added.

Mutual Love

The museum announcement is a reflection of Serbia’s pride in Djokovic’s achievements as it will ensure a lasting tribute to the legend’s legacy. Vucic hopes the project will be completed before the Serbian capital hosts the World Expo in 2027.

Over the years, the 37-year-old has become the country's reason for celebration. The Serbian public came out and gathered in main squares across the country to cheer for Djokovic's victory in the Paris Olympics by waving the national flag and singing patriotic songs.

The Serbian also has always been vocal about how representing his country is his highest honor. After winning the Olympics final, Djokovic immediately draped himself in his country's flag.

“I put my heart, my soul, my body, my family, my everything on the line to win Olympic gold at age 37. I finally did it. Everything about this is special, but most of all it is my country. It’s my pride to play for Serbia," Djokovic had said after the match.

The Belgrade native completed the Golden Slam - winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympics singles gold - becoming only the fifth player in history to do so. Before him, Steffi Graf (1988), Andre Agassi (1999), Rafael Nadal (2010) and Serena Williams (2012) had achieved the feat.

Cash Prize

Djokovic was also awarded €200,000 by the government for his victory at the Paris Olympics.

Serbia has so far won only two medals in the Paris Olympics; both gold. The second gold medal was bagged by the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team.

In a gesture to recognize the athletes who won medals at the ongoing Olympics, the Serbian government announced financial rewards worth €200,000 for gold, €100,000 for silver and €60,000 for bronze.

Serbia is one of the 33 countries that would be rewarding its gold medalists with cash prizes, confirmed Forbes. In fact, it’s the third most generous in the list, lagging behind only Hong Kong ( €706,000) and Israel (€252,000). In addition to that, Serbia will award pensions to all medalists starting at the age of 40.

Humanitarian Work

Djokovic, however, has pledged to donate the money to “those who need it most”. The Serbian star is known for his humanitarian work. In 2007, he and his wife Jelena created an organization - The Novak Djokovic Foundation - to invest in early childhood development programs for children in Serbia from disadvantaged communities, ensuring they have access to preschool education.

In addition to that, Djokovic also manages a tennis academy and regularly attends sports events and meets with officials.