The Serbian tennis community experienced a significant loss with the passing of Tatjana Ječmenica-Jevtić, who tragically died in a car accident. In the wake of her death, Serbian tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanović paid heartfelt tributes to her memory.
Throughout her career, Ječmenica-Jevtić won 6 singles titles and 3 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. She served as the captain of the Serbian Billie Jean King Cup team from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2014 until her untimely demise.
Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic Pay Tributes to Tatjana Ječmenica-Jevtić Following Her Death
On February 13, 2026, Ječmenica-Jevtić lost her life in a traffic collision on the bypass near the Orlovača interchange. Her SUV collided with a truck, resulting in her death at the scene. Her husband, Darko Jevtić, who was also in the car, sustained life-threatening injuries and is currently in critical condition in an induced coma. She is also survived by her son, Aleksa.
Following this tragic news, Djokovic and Ivanović took to social media to share emotional messages, paying tribute to Ječmenica-Jevtić and expressing their condolences, wishing her peace.
“May your soul rest in peace 🙏 ❤️,” Djokovic captioned her Instagram story (translated from Serbian).
“May you rest in peace 🕊️ 🙏,” Ivanović added.
On the tennis side, Djokovic has participated in only one tournament this year: the Australian Open. He defeated Pedro Martínez, Francesco Maestrelli, Botic van de Zandschulp, Jakub Menšík, Lorenzo Musetti, and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner to reach the final. There, the Serb finished as the runner-up after losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic was expected to compete at the 2026 Qatar Open but withdrew due to “strong fatigue.” Looking ahead, he is scheduled to begin the North American hard-court season at the Indian Wells Masters.
The first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season is set to take place from March 4 to March 15, 2026, on the outdoor hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California, United States.
In addition to the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion, players who are also expected to compete at the Indian Wells Masters include Alcaraz, Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, and former champions Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Cameron Norrie, among others.
Djokovic has won the Indian Wells Masters five times, the most titles held by any player, a record he shares with Roger Federer. He won the title in 2008, 2011, and from 2014 to 2016. The Serb also finished as the runner-up once, in 2007, after losing to Rafael Nadal in the final.
