Novak Djokovic had a more difficult childhood than most players, but his father, Srdjan, is proud of how he fought through that adversity.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion grew up in the 1990s during the Yugoslav wars that led to many atrocities and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization responding by bombing Yugoslavia and imposing economic sanctions.
That meant Djokovic grew up without much money due to his family battling difficult financial conditions, and seeing and hearing Serbia, part of Yugoslavia at the time, being bombed became normal.
Despite those challenging circumstances, Djokovic did not let that stop him from succeeding and reaching his potential. His story has inspired millions of people worldwide as an example of fighting through hardship.
Srdjan was quoted talking about Djokovic’s childhood by Danas while receiving the “Best Athlete of 2024” award by The Association of Sports Journalists on his son’s behalf since he is preparing for the 2025 Indian Wells Open.
“He came of age in the worst time of sanctions and bombing, a desperate life and a salary of a few marks, borrowing money with an interest rate of 10-15 percent per month. He remained what he was at the age of six.”
“Back then, we knew when he slept, what he ate, what he would get in math… Nothing was easy, but he turned all the adversity into a positive. He is an incredible child, he will now turn 38 in May.”
Hearing of Srdjan’s pride is heartwarming. The odds of Djokovic becoming one of the most iconic athletes ever might have seemed impossible considering his background, but that did not stop the ATP Tour legend from working to make it happen.
Many consider Djokovic the greatest tennis player ever, but Srdjan recently went further than that. He thinks his son is the best athlete in the history of any sport and does not feel ashamed to admit what he believes to be true.
Djokovic is indisputably the most statistically successful tennis player ever. The Serbian’s 428 weeks at world No. 1 are unmatched by anyone else, and his 24 Grand Slams are only equaled by Margaret Court, who played when tennis was nowhere near its current level.
Those achievements are even more remarkable considering Djokovic’s upbringing. It is among the most significant examples in any sport of an athlete battling through a bad situation to achieve historic success.
Djokovic is often compared to his legendary rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. They are broadly viewed as the three best players ever, and the trio raised the standard of tennis with their outstanding rivalries.
Although Djokovic won the most Grand Slams of the three, Diego Schwartzman recently argued that Nadal commands the most respect of the three men because of his remarkable intensity before and during matches.
However, Djokovic’s father is convinced that his son has gone beyond debates about the best tennis player ever and is the greatest athlete of all time. That is a big claim to make considering how many incredible athletes exist worldwide.
