Belgrade, May 27, 2020
Photo: mitropolija.com
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has donated a considerable sum to help those suffering in his homeland during this time of pandemic.
Djokovic is one of the highest ranked tennis players in the world, and is also known for his Orthodox faith.
“Before being an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” Djokovic famously said in April 2011, upon receiving the Order of St. Sava in the first degree from His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia for contributing to the renovation of churches and monasteries in Serbia, including $100,000 to Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo.
In 2015, his charitable foundation teamed up with the World Bank to provide Serbian children with access to schooling and care, and in 2017, he opened a restaurant in Serbia offering free food to the homeless and poor.
Now the tennis star has offered more than $5.5 million (5 million euros) to the Serbian public health system, to people in need, and to charities run by the Serbian Orthodox Church, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
Djokovic had already donated $1,101,375 (1 million euros) in March to help purchase respirators and necessary medical equipment for hospitals in Serbia.
Visit novakdjokovicfoundation.org to learn more about the Serbian Orthodox tennis star’s charitable activities.
