Novak Djokovic 'misses out on pay day' and faces four-year delay to get it

15 August 2023 , 10:09

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Novak Djokovic is still waiting for his sporting pension (Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic could be forced to wait another four years to receive his sporting pension after a mistake with the paperwork.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, 36, has received more than $171million (£134.7m) in prize money during his successful tennis career, which is the most any man has ever gained in the sport. Yet it's believed his bank balance should be even higher.

That is because Djokovic is owed a sporting pension by the Serbian government for winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The European country's regulations at the time meant those payments would start kicking in after his 35th birthday.

Yet it's claimed the Tennis Federation of Serbia didn't submit the necessary paperwork before the government changed the age from 35 to 40. That means Djokovic will now need to wait nearly four more years to become a pensioner (sporting wise).

That's according to Sportklub, who claim that swimmer Milorad Cavic has also fallen foul of the change in regulations due to a similar mistake by the swimming federation. Cavic won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and turns 40 next May.

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Djokovic, who turned 35 in May 2022, is thought to have missed out on 15 months' worth of pension payments as a result of the error. He is set to miss out on 60 in total... unless the Serbian government amends his retirement age.

The tennis legend is unlikely to be too concerned by the error. His sports pension is believed to be worth two times the average salary in Serbia, which isn't comparable to the millions of pounds he earns from endorsements and winning tournaments.

Novak Djokovic won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics (Getty Images)

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Djokovic's priority will be winning the US Open, which gets underway at Flushing Meadows on August 28. The Serb missed last year's tournament after failing to comply with the country's vaccination policy for non-US citizens against Covid.

Yet Djokovic will not be denied entry to the United States for this year's tournament. He is a three-time US Open champion but has often struggled to get over the line in New York, losing six previous finals. His last US Open title came in 2018.

Djokovic won the Australia Open and the French Open earlier this year but lost a pulsating Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz. The 20-year-old, who is now a two-time Grand Slam winner, will defend his US Open title after beating Casper Ruud in last year's final.

Djokovic is competing at the Cincinnati Masters to prepare for the US Open and end his two-year tournament exile from the United States. He will take on the winners of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's clash with Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round.

Tom Blow