“Novak Djokovic recounts a traumatic childhood memory of his mother’s injury during an air raid in Serbia: ‘My father was panicking as my mother lay unconscious.”
Novak Djokovic Reflects on Harrowing Childhood in War-Torn Serbia: A Journey of Fear, Survival, and Growth
In a recent emotional interview, tennis legend Novak Djokovic opened up about the harrowing experiences of his childhood, growing up amidst the war-torn streets of Serbia during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in the late 1990s. The 37-year-old Serbian tennis star recounted these traumatic memories, including a night when his mother was knocked unconscious while fleeing to safety, shedding light on the lasting impact of these events on his life and career.
Djokovic has never shied away from speaking about the hardships he endured during the Kosovo War. As a young boy, he found solace in tennis, often dreaming of winning Wimbledon while bombs rained down on his homeland. For the young Djokovic, tennis was an escape from the devastating realities of war, but those years of constant fear left a lasting mark on him and his family.
In the interview with La Nacion, Djokovic painted a grim picture of life under the threat of bombings, recalling the terrifying nights when air raid sirens would go off, signaling approaching planes and bombs. “It’s a horror. The worst thing anyone can experience. It’s the fear of the unknown,” Djokovic said. “Not knowing if the next bomb is going to hit your head.” He added that the alarms would sound every night, disrupting their sleep and forcing the family to seek shelter in their building’s basement.
One particular night in 1999, which Djokovic remembers vividly, left an indelible mark on him. As the family rushed to the basement for safety, his mother, Dijana, accidentally struck her head on a heater, rendering her unconscious. Djokovic, only 12 years old at the time, watched in terror as his father, Srdjan, tried to care for his mother while his younger brothers, just 8 and 4 years old, cried in panic. “It was total chaos,” Djokovic said. “There was this complete fear, and my father was trying to revive my mother, while we were all scared and crying.”
Despite these traumatic experiences, Djokovic emphasized that they played a crucial role in strengthening the bond between his family members. However, he was careful to clarify that enduring war is not something he would wish on anyone. “It’s an experience that strengthened us as a family and as people. But I want to be very clear: I don’t think anyone should have to go through war to develop mental strength,” Djokovic said. He acknowledged that there are other ways to build resilience, but for him, war forced him to grow up much faster than a typical child would.
The interview also delved into Djokovic’s reflections on the responsibilities he had to take on during the war. As the eldest son, he often had to share his father’s role in caring for the family. “My father spoke to me as if I were an adult. He told me, ‘You have to do this, take your brothers there, go here,’” Djokovic explained. The chaos of war meant there was no room for childhood, as everyone was panicking and living in constant fear.
One of the most haunting memories Djokovic shared was of his 12th birthday. On that day, while at a tennis club, he witnessed a military plane flying overhead as the alarms went off. The sight of the plane and the sound of rockets being fired over military bases, schools, and hospitals left him feeling powerless. “The worst feeling is the fear that comes with having no control,” Djokovic said. “There is a stronger power that can destroy you at any moment, and there’s nothing you can do.”
These haunting memories have followed Djokovic into adulthood, shaping the man and athlete he is today. Earlier this year, he revealed that the trauma he endured as a child sometimes manifests in the form of him imagining bombs going off whenever he hears fireworks.
Djokovic’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, particularly in the face of unimaginable adversity. Despite living through such horrors, Djokovic rose to become one of the greatest tennis players in history, winning 24 Grand Slam titles and achieving global recognition. His journey is a testament to the strength of character forged through hardship, and his story will undoubtedly inspire many who face their own challenges in life. However, Djokovic remains clear: while his past has shaped him, he does not wish such suffering on anyone.
