Djokovic tearfully recalls his childhood: the family had only $10 left, and his father borrowed money from gangsters to support his tennis dream.

In a recent interview on British-Indian author and podcaster Jay Shetty’s show, tennis champion Djokovic opened up about the tough years of his childhood. He revealed that his father, Srđan Djokovic, once had to beg and borrow money from underworld figures to fund his tennis ambitions.

Djokovic’s early life was deeply affected by the disintegration of Yugoslavia during the 1990s. At that time, the international community imposed comprehensive sanctions on the country, causing a severe economic crisis. Hyperinflation soared to a staggering weekly rate of 1520%. Shopkeepers had to frequently change price tags, sometimes three or four times a day, eventually resorting to just adding zeros to the original prices. Djokovic grew up amid this economic turmoil, with his family facing enormous financial pressure.

Djokovic emotionally recounted, “The tennis federation had no funds to support me back then, so my father had to beg everywhere and unfortunately even borrow money from criminals.”

To back Djokovic’s tennis dream, his father Srđan was forced to borrow money from loan sharks and the mafia, paying interest rates as high as 30%. This was a desperate measure since local banks refused loans and the tennis federation could not provide assistance.

Djokovic said, “My father not only struggled to survive himself but also had to protect our family of five, enabling me to pursue the most expensive sport in a country with soaring prices. His sacrifices are something I will never forget.”

He became tearful as he recalled, “I remember the day my father came home with only 10 German marks, declaring it was everything our family of five had.” At this point, Djokovic choked up, marking this hardship as one of the most influential moments in his life and a motivation to never give up when facing difficulties.

Additionally, Djokovic shared a pivotal moment in his life: “The turning point that shaped my and my family’s fate came when I was 12 and a half years old during the air force bombings. When they placed 10 marks on the table, I realized I had to grow up and take responsibility.”

Driven by nothing but success, this mindset pushed the young Djokovic forward. The war became an extra source of motivation because he wanted to prove to the world that Serbia had outstanding people. These tough experiences forged Djokovic’s iron will, which likely helped him become a legendary figure in tennis history.

Besides his childhood, Djokovic also mentioned the support from his current wife: “She is the only true love of my life, and the reason I can continue playing tennis is because of the family support she provides.”

Speaking about his wife’s help, Djokovic said, “My wife is one of the few people in the world who dares to speak frankly and challenge my ideas and beliefs… She is my spiritual pillar. From every perspective, she is my best partner.”

Today, the boy who once practiced tennis amid shelling has won 24 Grand Slam titles, an unmatched achievement in men’s tennis. But we should not forget that behind the countless highlights and immense wealth, the name Djokovic embodies a tempering of fire and ice and an iron will forged through countless brushes with death. Only he truly deserves the title of ‘fighter.’ His father Srđan’s past struggles with begging and borrowing, the fleeting shadows of war shells during his childhood, all the loneliness and hostility from the world ultimately transformed into his drive to pursue and become the greatest player in tennis history.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)