Tennis star Djokovic weds in romantic ceremony

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic and his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic wed on Thursday in a civil ceremony at a posh Adriatic resort.

Families, close friends and some hundred guests attended the event, held in a park above a beach close to the luxury Montenegro islet Sveti Stefan.

“The ceremony was followed by a banquet... Clouds and some rain drops did not spoil the festivities,” an unidentified source told AFP.

A religious ceremony will take place on Saturday.

Among the guests attending Thursday’s ceremony were Russian tennis players Maria Sharapova, Djokovic’s coach Marjan Vajda and his wife, and Serbian fellow tennis players Viktor Troicki, Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic.

The 27-year-old Djokovic – who won his second Wimbledon title on Sunday – and Ristic are expecting their first child later this year.

Photo: Novak Djokovic/Twitter

According to local media reports, they couple rented the entire islet resort, which is occupied by a fortified village built in the 15th century, to maintain privacy.

Many international film stars, among them Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Orson Welles and Kirk Douglas, frequented the resort in the 1960s and 1970s.

To prevent intruders or paparazzi getting too close, security officers dressed in civilian clothes were deployed.

Belgrade’s Blic newspaper reported that resort staff had to sign gag orders relating to the wedding. They were prohibited from bringing cameras or mobile phones to the islet, which is connected to the mainland by a stony strip.

The world number one, who dedicated his Wimbledon title to his future wife and child, has told reporters he would “now close a tennis chapter for a while” to concentrate on his family.

Photo: Novak Djokovic/Twitter

The luxurious Adriatic resort of Sveti Stefan where Novak Djokovic wed longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic on Thursday in a civil ceremony. Photo: AFP

Tennis player Novak Djokovic (L) and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic arrive to a pre-wedding party at the luxurious Adriatic resort of Sveti Stefan on July 9, 2014. Photo: AFP

Tennis legend Boris Becker arrives at the luxurious Adriatic resort of Sveti Stefan on July 10, 2014. Photo: AFP

Sources: AFP, Twitter, Reuters