Novak Djokovic made it to the top of the tennis world from humble beginnings. The 24-time Grand Slam champion grew up in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, and was raised by Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan Djokovic alongside his two younger brothers, Marko and Djordje.
Recently, Djokovic re-lived his early childhood obstacles during his presence at the World Sports Summit in Dubai. The event saw the likes of Ronaldo Nazário and Khabib Nurmagomedov take center stage. At the summit, Djokovic gave insights into how he became mature early on.
“I come from individual sports and from really challenging circumstances in my childhood, so I had to mature much earlier than I should have. I was 12 or 13 years of age,” Djokovic said.
The Serb went on tell a powerful story involving his father and their financial condition.
“My father put 10 Deutschmarks at the time, which is equivalent to about $10, in front of me, my mother, and my two brothers,” Djokovic said. “They were too young, but he said, ‘This is all we’ve got.’
“If you want to play tennis, which is an expensive sport, it’s not enough. It’s that plus all the other jobs you have to do to substitute for me when I’m not around, when I’m working and trying to provide for the family.”
Djokovic said he almost took on the role of father at such a tender age to his two younger brothers. The Serb said that this added responsibility strengthened him and made him appreciative of everything in life.
“So anything that happens in my career, business, or anything like that, I always try to reflect on those moments because they ground me. They give me humility and modesty, but also peace, because I know who I am. I know where I come from, and I bring those values into everything I do. And I think, in the long run, that’s the biggest win,” Djokovic added.
Novak Djokovic: “I had to mature early. I was 12 years of age when my father said ten dollars is all we have. He said if you want to play tennis, this isn’t enough. I had to be a second father figure at home and these responsibilities strengthened me.”pic.twitter.com/UxpC10bIdA
— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) December 31, 2025
Novak Djokovic Reacts To 2005 Roland Garros Video
At the summit, Novak Djokovic was shown a video from his debut at Roland Garros 2005, where, during the pre-game warmup, the commentators made fun of his skinny build. They found him hungry in a derogatory way.
Two decades later, when that same video was played, Djokovic affirmed that he’s indeed “hungry” but in a positive way. Djokovic’s humble response drew him praise from the crowd and the anchor herself.
At the event, Djokovic also said that not only is he chasing his 25th Grand Slam, but he’s also looking forward to playing in the LA 2028 Olympics.
