Review 'Djokovic, Wolf in Winter': the best documentary ever made about a tennis player

Jose Morón - 21 Aug 2026 | 13:56
ATP Novak Djokovic

A journey through the life and career of Novak. Those who loved him will love him even more now. Those who hated him may have changed their minds today.

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Review of the Documentary on Djokovic. Photo: Prime

On August 20th, the documentary ‘Djokovic, The Wolf in Winter’ premiered worldwide on Prime. A 92-minute film that feels short, covering all the stages of Novak Djokovic’s life from his childhood to his current phase, in 2026. This documentary serves for people to discover more about who Djokovic is, a figure whose personality has drawn much criticism, with the aim of enabling more people to empathize with him.

Directed by Jason Hehir (the same one behind ‘The Last Dance’), the care put into every shot, every statement, and every sentence, subtly chosen, is evident. It's appreciated that it gets straight to the point and does not drag on with long episodes, as is the case with other documentaries about sports personalities. The 92 minutes of The Wolf in Winter is a journey through Nole's life that doesn’t feel heavy at all and forces personal reflection: What would I have done in his place?

With my eyes fixed on the screen during the final credits, I found myself asking that very question. I believe that most tennis fans have been unfair at some point to Novak Djokovic. And I include myself. It was hard not to be, that’s true. We were happily living in the Federer-Nadal rivalry. We lacked nothing. We had historic finals almost every week in a “movie-like” duo, as Nole describes it.

That’s when the Serbian entered, ready to claim his piece of the pie. And his presence was rejected by Roger and Rafa fans. Understandable on one hand; unfair on the other. The press, especially Spanish media, did not forgive that Nole started beating Rafa at a time when Federer hit a small slump. Nadal could have capitalized on that to add several titles, but nobody expected Novak not only to challenge the throne from Rafa, but to end up taking it in a wonderful 2011 for him.

We cannot deny that Djokovic has never generated the same empathy as Federer or Nadal. Balkan character. Hot-blooded and strong personality. With plenty of self-belief. He was unafraid to go to the press back then and state that he didn’t think Rafa was unbeatable on clay. His ambition evoked rejection in the fans, who never tried to empathize and discover why he behaved that way. This documentary tries precisely that.

 

 

Getting to Know Novak Djokovic More

If we don’t mention his name in the definition, let’s think coldly: who could dislike a boy who lived through a war firsthand? A child who, along with his family, left their home while bombs fell behind them? Who can feel resentment toward a family whose mother worked double shifts to pay for her son’s classes or a father who had to beg criminals for money so he could go to an academy far from home?

Nole had to be a man before becoming an adult. At 13, he carried the weight of providing for the entire family. If he didn’t succeed as a tennis player and earn money, the whole family would go bankrupt since they bet everything on his career. That shouldn't happen to a child of just 13, and it fully explains Djokovic's ambitious and winning character. He didn’t just want to be a tennis player; he wanted to be the best. Without the pressure he faced from a young age, he wouldn’t have become the tennis player he has been.

Parents who have watched the documentary (or will) will understand many of the things Srdjan and Dijana did back then because, what parent wouldn’t do anything for their child? What happened from the moment Nole began to achieve results caused everything to spiral out of control.

Many fans rejected him, as we said. A large part of the press did too. They, winter wolves who learned to suffer from a young age and fight with everything to keep going, reacted as anyone would who has fought as hard as possible to be there only to receive the hate from others. As mentioned earlier, the documentary always strives for the viewer to empathize and ask if they would have behaved the same way living what they did at that time.

 

 

The Indomitable Character of Djokovic

The documentary skims over some more purely tennis aspects or results-wise. It doesn’t delve into his best seasons or other aspects that true tennis fans would have wished for. This film is not only directed at that person but also at casual followers of the sport or those who only heard Djokovic's name from the press. It aims for everyone to know who Novak is and why he is like he is.

Novak grew up in conditions that no child should have to experience. As he describes, in that period when his mind is like a sponge, and everything learned is etched in your personality. When he arrived at tennis, the hate received from part of the tennis community fueled a hunger that shaped his peculiar way of being.

Djokovic, as his wife Jelena describes him, is pure love. The one who goes above and beyond for his children and with whom they try to live a childhood he could never have due to the war and in pursuit of fulfilling his dream. But he is also that pain he carries within. The pain he started feeling as a child and in the public's rejection at many tournaments. As a means of survival, Nole used that pain as fuel to give his 110%. He always needed that something that pushed him to show his fangs and exhibit that “darkness” described by Agassi. The darker it became, the more dangerous he became on the court.

The Serbian transitioned from that friendly kid who imitated his rivals at tournaments to the “party crasher” that no one had invited to a party that already seemed perfect. Hehir times the narrative perfectly to avoid overwhelming the viewer with different timelines, explaining step by step how the personality of the greatest tennis player of all time was forged.

Star Appearances in the Documentary

Andre Agassi plays an important role in the film, surprisingly. Despite coaches like Vajda or Ivanisevic spending many years by his side, it is the American who has the most presence, delivering several of the best lines in the documentary, such as defending Nole by stating that “he hasn’t received the recognition he deserves.” His other coaches, including Becker, barely have a few seconds in the documentary.

His wife Jelena has the most prominent role among all the “supporting” characters. Her way of describing Nole is not to be overlooked. The film also features all members of his family, including his brothers, who acknowledge how hard it was for them for everything to focus solely on Nole. It is also touching to see Niki Pilic, who was his first coach in Europe at his academy, recently deceased. It is evident that Nole has been preparing this documentary for many years and they were able to use some of the footage recorded earlier.

 

 

Interestingly, in The Wolf in Winter, Rafa Nadal makes an appearance, returning the favor to Djokovic for appearing in his documentary as well. The Mallorcan, who at the beginning of the Serbian’s career did not have a good relationship with him at all, has kind words for him as a clear sign that what happened on the court stayed on the court. However, don’t expect Federer. It’s not surprising. Their relationship has always been very tense and although they smoothed things over at the end of the Swiss’s career, his absence here says it all.

The wolf, the animal with which Djokovic identifies, is protective of those he cares for who show good intentions, but he is the deadliest of predators to anyone who has harmed the pack at any time.

The Unfairness of Fans Toward Djokovic

As mentioned earlier, we have all been unfair at some point to Novak. All of us, without exception. The documentary clearly explains what happened in the now-famous case of the 2022 Australian Open. There are still people who think he tried to enter the country illegally (as a large part of the media sold it), but he provides details of what happened step by step and how he had to listen to his wife.

I won’t spoil what happened, but everyone will understand from that the injustice Nole faced during those two weeks and how he was treated merely as a political object in the eyes of the world.

Also, how unfair it was for the Australian fans who booed him in the semifinals of 2025 when he withdrew against Zverev. The Serbian shows in the days leading up to it how he was really doing and everything he did to try to play. Those boos, now part of Novak's career, are shown in the documentary so that the viewer understands how he was always in the crosshairs, no matter what he did, and that it was never enough for others.

And as journalist Howard Bryant says, "if Djokovic had won 15 Slams, the crowd would love him... because that would mean he didn't threaten Roger and Rafa. People would love Novak more if he didn't threaten the order, but to have Novak not threaten the order is to not have Novak Djokovic." There’s no better way to define it.

 

 

This ‘Djokovic, The Wolf in Winter’ is the best documentary made about a tennis player. It gets straight to the point, explains in detail how his figure emerged, and does so with absolutely wonderful visual beauty. Those who loved Nole before the documentary will likely love him even more now. Those who hated him may very well think differently about him today and recognize the unfairness they showed toward him.

100% recommended, both for tennis fans and for those who aren’t.

Rating: 9.25/10.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Review "Djokovic, lobo en invierno": el mejor documental jamás hecho sobre un tenista