Novak Djokovic's father was ready to unload railway wagons to finance his son's training
Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and it might be a matter of time before he overtakes even his Big 3 peers Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Having won his 17th Grand Slam title in Australia before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the tour, Djokovic is, according to many, well on his way to the title of 'GOAT'.
Anyone who has followed Novak Djokovic's life would know how the Serb set a time-frame for himself to achieve his goals and become the undisputed greatest. But he was helped greatly in his journey by his parents, who left no stone unturned in giving their son the best possible training.
Yesterday, Novak Djokovic's grandfather Zdenko Zagar spoke to Bosnian daily Kurir.rs about the hardships that Srdjan and Dijana Djokovic faced in ensuring that the World No. 1 realized his dream.
Zagar first narrated how skiing was Novak Djokovic's first love and not tennis.
"Skiing played a key role in Novak's whole story. Dijana (Djokovic's mother) met Srdjan while skiing on Kopaonik. He and his brother were top skiers, competitors and members of the national team," Zagar said.
Zagar also talked about how he bonded with his grandson over their shared love for the snow sport.
"Later, Novak Djokovic was born as their first son. Once, they left Novak to me when he was a child, to take care of him on Kopaonik. He accepted me immediately despite us not having met a lot, amazing how good and educated he was from a young age," Zagar said.
"We skied together and he was already faster than us then. We look where he is, and he would be waiting for us at the end of the trail, lying on the snow and laughing!" he reminisced.
Being from a war-torn country, the odds were always stacked against Novak Djokovic. The Serb spent large parts of his youth in the small mountain resort of Kopaonik, where his parents ran a pizza parlor.
Zagar noted how his grandson didn't think much about tennis as a child. But that changed when Djokovic was spotted in Kopaonik by the late Serbian coach Jelena Gencic, who had worked with former World No. 1 and nine-time Major winner Monica Seles.
Novak Djokovic's parents took big risks in financing his tennis: Zagar
Novak Djokovic shifted his focus to tennis as a 6-year-old, and hasn't looked back since. But his parents have been just as crucial in the World No. 1's journey as Gencic, as Zagar pointed out.
"I know how much Srdjan supported him, and asked God to let him succeed. He always had a feeling that Novak would be successful, and it was amazing. The problem was always lack of money," Zagar said.
With so much at stake, Novak Djokovic's father and mother pulled out all the stops in financing his career.
"One day, Dijana calls me and tells me she borrowed some money in my name. I ask her how she will return it. She replied not to worry. And one day I ask what happened to that debt, and they say that they returned everything fairly, both the principal and the interest, which were otherwise high," Zagar said.
"They were forced to borrow big money. I once asked Srdjan, what if it did not work. He would tell me: I would unload the wagons at the station," Zagar added.