Novak Djokovic is one of the most philanthropic players on the ATP Tour right now. As one of the highest-earning players in the sport, he is well-positioned to help the less fortunate. The answer to the question of how much money has Novak Djokovic donated to charity is surely a minimum of $8 million USD and the estimated figure could be a lot more.
The Serb has himself experienced severe financial problems, living in war-torn Serbia in the 1990s. This allowed him to empathise with the problems faced by the underprivileged and needy. Hence, he has made sizeable donations to various charities and causes. Here is the breakdown of how much money has Novak Djokovic donated to charity.
1. The Novak Djokovic Foundation
Like many other popular athletes, the World No.1 also runs a charitable foundation. The main pillar of this organisation, founded in 2007, is working to help children receive basic education.
Recently, the foundation raised €87,111 (over $93,900 USD) to build a kindergarten in a remote Serbian village. Djokovic donated an equal amount to double the sum to €174,222 (over $187,800 USD). This is just the latest entry to a long list of donations he has made via the Novak Djokovic Foundation, helping 54,800 children.
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2. Novak Djokovic charity was tremendous in COVID-19 Donations
Djokovic made a series of large donations to help Serbia combat the COVID-19 pandemic. His wife, Jelena, and he pledged €1 million ($1.2 million USD approximately) to purchase ventilators for coronavirus patients in their country. They also donated 5 million Serbian Dinars (approximately $46,000 USD) to help Novi Pazar, the worst-hit town in Serbia. Finally, he gave $5.5 million USD to the healthcare department and Christian charities.
Djokovic also contributed a large sum to Rafael Nadal’s collection drive for COVID-19 relief in Spain. He also reportedly donated a significant sum to hospitals in Bergamo, Italy.
3. Novak Djokovic gave away his tournament winnings to flood relief in 2014
Djokovic lifted his third Italian Open/Rome Masters title in 2014, which got him a cool paycheck of $444,000 USD. However, he opted to donate it all to flood relief efforts in Serbia. The Eastern European nation was hit by a massive flood which caused catastrophic damage. In addition to the money, he also dedicated his win to his fellow citizens (ESPN).
4. Australian donations
Novak Djokovic has made various charitable donations in Australia, a country where he has found immense success on the court. In 2016, he gave $20,000 USD to Melbourne City Mission’s early childhood education program. The initiative aims to help disadvantaged children access early education, a goal Djokovic’s foundation also shares.
Australia was ravaged by bushfires in early 2020, which displaced thousands and burnt down millions of acres of land. Many tennis stars like Nick Kyrgios, Ashleigh Barty, and Maria Sharapova contributed sums to help the relief and firefighting efforts. Djokovic chipped in with a $25,000 USD donation.
