Novak Djokovic Makes a Pilgrimage in Greece

By Elena Marika Konstantinou

November 14, 2026

Novak Djokovic's tennis season is over, and he has traded the hard courts for one of the most spiritual corners of Greece.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is spending a few days at Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos, the monastery announced on its official Instagram account on November 12, 2026. That morning he attended the festal Divine Liturgy in the monastery's main church for its feast day, which honors the Serbian King Milutin, one of Hilandar's greatest benefactors.

He did not make the trip alone. His father, Srđan, and his uncle, Goran, were by his side, Mondo and Politika reported, and Milutin Hilandarac, a monk at the monastery, shared photos of the three of them.

The visit actually leaked through a fan first. Sportal reported that a photo a fan posted on Instagram gave it away before the monastery confirmed the news, and in.gr noted that it quickly grabbed the attention of the Serbian press.

Then came the clip everyone kept sharing. According to Novosti, the monastery's Instagram posted a video of Djokovic crossing himself and reading the Lord's Prayer aloud in Serbian.

Hilandar is a very big deal for Serbs. Stefan Nemanja and his son, Saint Sava, founded it in the late 12th century, and it sits on the northeastern side of the Athos peninsula, the easternmost of the three fingers of Chalkidiki. For centuries it has been one of the most important spiritual centers of Serbian Orthodoxy.

Mount Athos is no ordinary day trip, either. The self-governing monastic community in northern Greece admits only men, and every visitor needs a special entry permit, so even a superstar's stay there is a quiet one.

Faith has always been front and center for Djokovic. SKAI and Parapolitika pointed out that he usually wears a cross that he kisses after his wins, that his foundation has helped fund the restoration of Orthodox churches, and that he has said he is an Orthodox Christian before he is an athlete.

The pilgrimage caps a very Greek few weeks. Djokovic now lives in Athens, and on November 6 he was courtside with his son Stefan for Olympiacos vs Red Star Belgrade before heading north to Athos.

On the court, 2026 ended sooner than he wanted. A second round exit at the Paris Masters left him out of the ATP Finals in Turin, and Novosti reported that he finished the year ranked 12th, outside the top 10 for the first time since 2017. Mondo says rest comes first now, with the Australian Open next on his calendar.