After what probably was the longest rally in his tennis career-- the eight-year relationship as boyfriend-girlfriend-- Novak Djokovic popped the winner question to longtime partner Jelena Ristic in September 2013, and the 27-year-old said yes faster than any of Djokovic’s aces.

Roughly two months after that proposal, Djokovic has lost the ATP Rankings World Number One to rival Rafael Nadal of Spain.

However, it seems like Djokovic is not too worried about losing that battle and rather is focused on the task ahead, the wedding and married life with Ristic.

“I love her with all my heart and of course it was for us a natural way of things progressing in life,” said the 26-year-old tennis pro to the ATP official Web site. “That was the next step in our relationship. I had to get all the courage possible and to do it…”

“It’s an incredible experience. Throughout my life I’ve played many big matches in front of 20,000 people and fighting for many Grand Slam trophies and with high adrenaline and excitement, but this is still something I haven’t experienced in my life and I’m just glad. We are really blessed to be engaged now and get married very soon.”

Ristic is a Masters Degree holder from a Milan university, while Djokovic has won his share of (tennis) Masters with six Grand Slam titles in his career. He won the Australian Open in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013; Wimbledon in 2011; and the U.S. Open in 2011.

The couple is famously known as Serbia’s First Couple, owing to the pair’s popularity in their home country.

According to reports, the wedding will happen in the early part of 2014.

For the meantime, Djokovic has a few tennis rings left to win in the ATP season. He just made semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals after a win over Juan Martin Del Potro, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday.

Djokovic will also play in the 2013 Davis Cup Final as he tries to help Serbia unseat defending champions Czech Republic in the tournament scheduled from Nov 15 to 17, 2013.