Novak Djokovic and wife ‘fined and face 10 more’ after breaking rules | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena have reportedly been hit with a €5,000 (£4,167) fine by the Marbella Council. The tennis legend is said to have landed himself in trouble with the authorities for carrying out unlicensed renovations on his and his wife’s luxury mansion, a short distance from the centre of Marbella.
Djokovic reportedly began building work on the €10million (£8.3m) property, located in Sierra Blanca, without the necessary permits. The council opened a case against him after finding out that his renovation went against Andalusian Land Law over the height, number of floors and minimum boundary distances of the property. Djokovic has therefore been required to demolish certain completed parts, such as the basement parking area and a porch.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner was initially hit with a €5,000 fine for failing to make the required changes in line with planning regulations within a two-month deadline. And the Serbian has now received another €5k fine for the same reason, with Marbella 24 Horas reporting, via Eurosport, that he was notified of the fine on February 13.
Djokovic has also been warned that failure to address the issues could lead to further action, including up to 12 successive fines. His family, including his two children, reportedly spend a few weeks each year at the property, which was bought back in 2020.
The villa, officially, has nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool, several lounges, a cinema and television room, a games room with billiards and table football, a spa with a sauna and Turkish bath, and a fully equipped gym.
The main rooms are understood to be influenced by Mediterranean and Moroccan styles. Djokovic also owns homes in Belgrade, Monte Carlo, Miami and New York City.
The 37-year-old will be determined not to be distracted by the ordeal as he prepares for his quarter-final clash with Sebastian Korda at the Miami Open on Thursday evening. He is just three victories away from a record-breaking seventh trophy in Miami and a 100th tour-level crown.
Djokovic has endured an uncharacteristically tough start to the 2025 season, which most recently included an error-prone defeat in his Indian Wells opener earlier this month. After suffering a third straight loss for only the second time since 2008, he admitted that he’s “struggling to play at the desired level” in recent years and that it’s “mostly been a struggle”.