Novak Djokovic becomes part-owner of shock football club as tennis legend teams up with former F1 stars
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has become part-owner of a football club - and has teamed up with two former F1 drivers.
Djokovic becomes the latest high-profile figure from outside football to become involved in the sport.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have guided Wrexham from the fifth tier to the Championship, while NFL legend Tom Brady holds a minority stake in Birmingham.
Last year, Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly took over as co-owner of French third division side FC Versailles.
Advert
Djokovic, who has won 24 Grand Slam tennis titles, has now taken his first steps into football ownership.
The Serb has 10 Australian Open titles to his name, as well as seven Wimbledon crowns.
He has lifted the US Open on five occasions, while the French Open has been his 'least' successful major, with three titles.
Roland-Garros has instead been dominated by Djokovic's great on-court rival Rafael Nadal, who has won the event on 14 separate occasions.
But the Serb has decided to take over a football club in France.
Djokovic becomes co-owner of football club
He has become a co-owner of Ligue 2 side Le Mans, who have had a turbulent time off the field in recent years.
They were a Ligue 1 club as recently as 2009, but were forced into liquidation in 2011 due to financial irregularities.
Le Mans successfully applied to be placed in the sixth tier, and have gradually been building back towards their former glory ever since.
Having earned promotion from France's third division last season, they will now usher in a new era with Djokovic.
The Serbian tennis legend will be joined as a co-owner of Le Mans by former F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen.
Massa is a 11-time Grand Prix winner with Ferrari, and was runner-up in the 2008 Drivers' Championship to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
He survived a freak life-threatening head injury suffered at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, when a spring from the back of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn dislodged itself on a straight and struck Massa centimetres above the eye at 160mph.
The Brazilian missed the rest of the season, but made a full return to F1 in 2010 before retiring in 2017.
Magnussen, meanwhile, has had two separate stints in F1, driving for McLaren, Renault and Haas.
The Dane left Haas at the end of 2024 and has driven at the landmark 24 Hours of Le Mans race twice, in 2021 and 2025.
How are Djokovic, Massa and Magnussen involved?
In a press release published on Le Mans' official website, Djokovic, Massa and Magnussen are named as part of a group that will become 'financial partners of the club'.
The investment is led by Brazilian private equity firm OutField.
Founder and CEO of health food brand OakBerry, Georgios Frangulis, is among the other investors, along with Djokovic, Massa and Magnussen.
The press release states that Djokovic's 'mental strength and unique approach will bring considerable value', while Magnussen and Massa 'will help create a bridge between football and motorsport - a distinctive strength of the Le Mans brand'.
Massa's involvement in the project originated through Frangulis, with the ex-F1 star stating: "I think everyone knows my passion for football, which is leading me to take this step today.
"Le Mans FC has a strong connection to motorsport ... I wanted to be a part of it [the project] - especially alongside people I deeply respect, like Djokovic, who needs no introduction, and Magnussen, with whom I shared many years in Formula 1.
"It's undeniably a great opportunity, taking advantage of the momentum of French football, the reigning Champions League champion [PSG], which is currently attracting significant investment."
Topics: Novak Djokovic, Tennis, Formula 1, France
Ryan Smart