
Novak Djokovic says sporting icons "absolutely" have responsibilities as role models ...

... and he's backing up his words with action -- with a lot of help from his wife, Jelena.

The couple established a foundation to help educate children under the age of six, a critical time for a person's learning process.

Jelena, who has two business degrees, serves as director of the Novak Djokovic Foundation. The couple married in 2014.

Jelena supports Novak both on and off court, championing the cause of children's education.

The couple agree that superstars in the world of sports have a higher calling off the playing field.

The foundation has taken up children's charitable causes in Serbia, donating to a school that was recently hit by flooding.

Nearly half the children under six in Serbia are left without an education, hampering their learning ability later in life, says Jelena.

She says deciding on investing in the education of children above other causes was a source of political tension.

Novak, the 2016 Australian Open winner, has 11 grand slam titles under his belt -- tied for the fifth-highest total of all time.