Novak Djokovic’s name is often mentioned along with other big names in his sport like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The Serbian tennis pro said his difficult childhood was what made him a fighter and able to compete with the best of the best on the court.

Here’s what Djokovic said about the war when he was growing up and what he’s done today to support another tennis player fighting in Ukraine.

Djokovic remembers the bombings and hid in a shelter

Djokovic’s childhood memories include what his family went through during the war in Yugoslavia and the bombing of Belgrade. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, the athlete recalled the horrific experience of an 11-year-old hiding in the shelter of his grandfather’s apartment.

“In 1999, when we had the bombings, we lived in an apartment 500 feet from here,” Djokovic explained. “We came to this building every night of (the) bombing because our building had no shelter… People were just hiding in the corners and trying to find a safe space… It was a horrible experience for everyone. world. Particularly for children. We didn’t understand what was going on. »

The athlete also spoke of a memory that has never left him.

“It was the first or second night of bombardment. We were about to fall asleep when a huge explosion happened,” he explained. “My mum got up very quickly and hit her head, falling unconscious. We were crying because of the bombs, because mum wasn’t responding. Luckily my dad managed to help my mum get back to normal. We collect[ed] our business and let’s go [outside]. It was so loud we couldn’t hear each other. My father carried my brothers. My mother was carrying other things and that’s where I slipped. When I looked towards the building, I saw the planes flying, dropping things, and the ground shaking. It is one of the most traumatic images I have seen in my childhood. It stays with me.

He’s moved on now and has a new “philosophy of life”

Djokovic admitted he was angry with what happened in his youth for a long time and allowed it to drive him onto the pitch. Now, although he has a new “philosophy of life”.

“I used that anger in a way that allowed me to be successful in tennis,” he revealed. “But that has changed. I really don’t have that feeling anymore. I won’t forget what happened, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s good for anyone to be stuck in emotions of hate, anger, rage.

Ukrainian tennis player says Djokovic’s support is special because he “understands perfectly”

Some of what Djokovic described sounds familiar to what Ukrainians have been through since Russia invaded that country on February 24, 2022.

Sergiy Stakhovsky, the former world number 31 and the man who ended Federer’s historic streak for an eighth Wimbledon crown in 2013, was vacationing with his family in Dubai when the war started. He and his family returned to Budapest in Hungary where they live before he decided to leave his wife and children behind and join his fellow Ukrainians on the front line.

Stakhovsky reached out to the tennis community to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces financially and a few players, including Djokovic, responded to his calls. Stakhocsky told Eurosport that the Serbian star “completely understands” the war in Ukraine because he “went through hell when he was young”.

Stakhovsky shared a Whatsapp message on Djokovic’s social media that read, “Stako, how are you man? Are you in the field? Thinking of you, hoping that everything calms down soon. Please let me know what would be the best address to send aid, financial aid, or any other help as well. »

The Ukrainian player-turned-military volunteer has revealed that Djokovic’s support means so much to others in the country who will see “that he understands, that he condemns what’s going on, that’s the most important thing – raising the spirit of Ukrainians”.

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