Novak Djokovic has spoken about his traumatic childhood in Belgrade while explaining how growing up as a war child has helped him become a tennis champion.
Djokovic was a kid when his country was involved in a bitter and bloody war with neighbor Kosovo. As the international community viewed Serbia as villain in the conflict, it faced the wrath of NATO and allied partners.
The experience has helped to toughen up the 24-time Major Champion and in an interview with Today Show in Australian, Djokovic got into details on how he has been transformed by the traumas of his childhood.
Djokovic was asked whether his mental strength is a product of his experiences as a child, the 36-year-old gave a telling response to the query.
“I don’t know to what extent, but there is definitely some connection to my upbringing,” he said.
“I was 12 when we had bombings nonstop for two and a half months, day and night.
“At times it appears, mostly when I hear fireworks. When I hear that sound it really reminds me of those bombs exploding, grenades and stuff.
“It’s not super pleasant, I still have a bit of trauma.”
He was also asked about the challenges of travelling and leaving his wife and two children behind for long spells and he admits that is becoming more challenging.
“I do struggle with that more and more as time goes on,” he continued.
“Australia is a long trip, probably the longest trip we have in the entire year. Being away for five weeks is quite a lot.
“My son is nine, my daughter is six, every day, every week they change, there’s a lot happening.
“My daughter’s first tooth went out and I wasn’t there for that. But it’s all about balance.”
Djokovic bowed down to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open and after that match, he cast some doubt over the extension of his career that doesn’t allow him to spend much time with
“Let’s see how things will unfold in the future,” he stated. “When you leave the court after a loss, the head is still hot – you are fighting to be rational, but there are many irrational thoughts going through your head.
“I want my thoughts to settle – when I calm down, I will move on and see what tournaments I will play.
“I made a commitment to myself that I will give it my all this year, with the priority being Slams and the Olympics.
“We’ll see whether something will change, in this stage of my life and my career some surprising decisions are maybe more expected compared to twenty years ago.”
Meanwhile, the legendary Serbian has continued his march towards unshared glory as he completed his his 410th week as world No 1, which sees him separating himself by 100 weeks from his nearest rival Roger Federer.
So even though the 10-time Australian Open failed to defend his title this year and questions remain how we will fare against the next big stars of the game like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it is evident the records set by the GOAT will endure long enough after he walks away from the sport.