I remember Padma very well. What a beautiful soul she is! Usually when people hug me, they say how tiny I am. But I remember hugging her and feeling how gentle, almost fragile she is! How much love I felt and kindness in our few encounters… 💔#Nolefam
"Really sad and heartbroken": Djokovic's family mourn the passing of fan Padma Rajan
Tennis NewsTuesday, 01 August 2023 at 16:15
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena has shared her sadness about Padma Rajan, a prominent fan of the tennis legend who passed away on July 25 after a battle with a rare form of chronic lung disease.
Jelena Djokovic sent her condolences to Rajan's family after learning about the loss of the superfan, calling her a 'beautiful soul.' Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, the wife of the 23-time Grand Slam champion posted,
"I remember Padma very well. What a beautiful soul she is! Usually when people hug me, they say how tiny I am. But I remember hugging her and feeling how gentle, almost fragile she is! How much love I felt and kindness in our few encounters #Nolefam," along with a broken-heart emoji.
Jelena praises Padma's work
On top of remembering Padma's kind-hearted personality, Jelena also wrote about her good work in life, adding
"My condolences to the family, to her two children she loved and cared for very much. I am really sad and heartbroken to learn about her passing. Whole @novakfoundation loved her enthusiasm and passion for ECD and we valued her support over the years. May she rest in peace."
ECD stands for early childhood development, something which Jelena herself is very passionate about as CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation. According to its website, the organization works to "enable children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to grow, play and develop in a stimulating, creative and safe environment, while learning to respect others and take care of their community."
'She made everyone she met feel special and loved'
Indeed, Padma's obituary is a further display of her passion for this work, whilst also underlining her warm personality. It reads as follows:
"Padma was a one of kind human being. She made everyone she met feel special and loved. Padma was a fierce advocate for underprivileged children, dedicating her career to directing early childhood Head Start programs after obtaining her CPA certification.
She spent most of her career working for the Early Learning Coalition of Duval County in Jacksonville, FL, continuing work in this field after moving to Lawrenceville, GA with her husband Ranga in 2022. She was only 5’0” tall but larger than life in spirit, and her ability to connect with every single person she met was unmatched.
She was the biggest sports fan known to all humankind, with a special place in her heart for the tennis player Novak Djokovic and basketball player Lebron James. Ask her about a stat, and she would tell you ten-fold more. She was the most nurturing wife, sister, mother, aunt, boss, and more, that you could ever meet."
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